Tough time for Gayle on sidelines

West Indies skipper Chris Gayle appears to be losing his battle to be fit for the opening Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth on December 26. Gayle injured his hamstring during the one-day series against Zimbabwe in November and is still unable to jog or run.

He has been forced to sit out the four-day warm-up match against South Africa A. Gayle told News24: "I'll weep if I can't play in the first Test. I'm finding it very frustrating to see the boys play while I have to sit here in the dressing room. I'm not the kind of guy that wants to see others play while I sit out. It's frustrating me endlessly."

His rehabilitation has gone slowly and he realises he can't rush things."However difficult it may be, I just have to try and be patient," Gayle said."If I play too soon and it hasn't quite healed, I can only do more harm than good and then I'll probably be out of the rest of the tour."

Jacqui Mowatt, the team's fitness specialist, says they've adopted a wait and see policy regarding the Windies skipper's injury. "At this stage I really cannot say whether Chris will be able to play in the first Test. We'll just have to wait and see," Mowatt said.

"It is not an injury with which we can take any risks." Dwayne Bravo will captain the West Indies against the Proteas should Gayle fail to make it. Cricket365