Chris Gayle

Melbourne: Beleaguered West Indies captain Chris Gayle Monday made it clear that he would not quit the job even though his critics are growing in number after the crushing defeat in the Brisbane Test against Australia.

Gayle conceded losing the first of the three-match series inside three days was “downright embarrassing” but made it clear that he was in no mood to kiss captaincy good bye.

“Times are tough but I’m determined to be the strong captain the team needs right now,” Gayle wrote in his column for a West Indies daily.

“When you have a bad loss like this, it’s expected that a lot of people will speculate over my captaincy. Some say I’m not the right person for the job.

“I’ve got a message for those people — I’m not going anywhere. I have been chosen as captain and it’s a job I will continue to do to the best of my ability. My heart is in it and I feel really strongly that I am the right man to lead the West Indies through this challenging period,” added the flamboyant left-hander.

Claiming he still enjoys the respect of his teammates, Gayle said, “With my captaincy coming under fire, the really heartening thing for me is to see how I have respect from each and every player in our squad. It makes my job easier to know that each individual supports me and it helps me get the best out of the players.”