England captain Stuart Broad has said that the absence of Chris Gayle from the upcoming one-day international series will be a big blow for the West Indies.
Gayle, 34, will miss the three ODIs against England due to a back complaint, but the tourists are hopeful that he will be available for the T20 World Cup, which starts on March 16.
"We know what Chris Gayle offers. He can win a game on his own," Broad told reporters.
"I'm sure the West Indies will be desperate to get him fit for the World Cup. I'm sure they won't risk him too much in the next few weeks.
"As an England side, you want to test yourself against the best players in the world, and Chris Gayle is one of those."
Gayle has scored 8,743 ODI runs at an average of 37.52.
