Gayle caused a stir in an interview with an English newspaper published on Tuesday in which he admitted that he was growing tired of Test cricket and said his time as leader of the Caribbean side may be coming to an end.

The 29-year-old claimed he was “misquoted and misinterpreted” and said that the media frenzy surrounding the matter would not deflect his team’s focus.

“We’re all big men, it won’t affect our performance,” Gayle said on the eve of the match. “We have to get on with it. It’s not a case of what I’ve said upsetting the team.”

“When you go into that middle you don’t remember these things. It’s about what you have to do out there,” he added. “You leave it off the field and play your game plan out in the middle.”

Gayle did confess that his views published in England’s Guardian newspaper were “as an individual” and were him being honest.

“That’s how I felt at the time. I share my views, that’s how it is,” he said.

The powerful Jamaican said that his recent struggles with injuries have made him more wary of planning the next stage of his career.

“A lot of cricket is being played – check the itinerary – and I started developing a lot of injuries,” Gayle said. “It takes a toll on your body and your mental strength. It can drain you a bit.”

“You’re not going to go on forever and at some stage you have to choose what you want to do as a person,” he said.

“I don’t actually see myself playing Test cricket for a long period of time but I think Test cricket will always be there.”

The Digicel-sponsored 81-Test veteran, who made his debut in 2000, said he is still aware of his role as a mentor to the inexperienced members of the side.

“I am trying to rebuild West Indies Test cricket, there’s a lot of young players there and with my guidance as well as (Ramnaresh) Sarwan’s and Shiv’s (Chanderpaul), we can help whichever player comes aboard and share our experiences with them about Test cricket,” he said.

“I haven’t fallen out of love with Test cricket. As soon as I stop having that passion, I’ll stop,” he added. “I haven’t come across that feeling yet to actually stop playing Test cricket fully. I am happy to be here right now.”

Gayle didn’t hide his love of Twenty20 cricket but cooled talk about him giving up the five-day version.

“I will still be playing Test cricket, and as captain I will still do my job. This will not be my last Test match, maybe you guys have misinterpreted it.”

Chanderpaul, the most senior of Gayle’s team-mates – and himself a former captain – is keen to put a rare failure in the first Test at Lord’s behind him and contribute to a series-leveling win.

The match, at the home of Chanderpaul’s English county Durham, will be the 34-year-old’s 121st Test, equaling the great Sir Viv Richards as third most among West Indians. Only Courtney Walsh (132) and Brian Lara (131) have played more.