MOHALI – Injury-plagued West Indies were dealt a major blow on Friday when hard-hitting opener Chris Gayle was ruled out of the key World Cup clash against Ireland with an abdominal strain. Gayle, 31, has struggled with the injury ever since the team landed in Mohali on Sunday but he is likely to be fit in time for the game against England on March 17. “Gayle has been struggling with it (injury) ever since we got here,” West Indies spokesman Philip Spooner told AFP. “The decision not to play him was taken this morning. We will monitor him on a daily basis and hopefully he will be available for selection for the game against England next week.”
