Chris Gayle has hit back at stinging criticism of his arrival in England just two days before leading West Indies to a crushing defeat at Lord’s by saying that he would not be upset if Test cricket died.

Gayle takes his team into the second npower Test at the Riverside tomorrow with the attack from Andrew Strauss, his England counterpart, still ringing in his ears and he said that he may even be ready to stand down as captain of his country.

He told Strauss — who described Gayle’s late arrival from the Indian Premier League in South Africa as not affording Test cricket the attention it deserved — to “stay out of people’s business”.

And he said that the England captain should be more worried about the possible end of Test cricket because he would struggle to adapt to the shorter forms of the game. “I wouldn’t be so sad,” Gayle was reported as saying. “Some other players would be. Maybe Andrew Strauss would be sad. Maybe he will be sad if Test cricket dies and Twenty20 comes in. Because there is no way he can make the change. So tough luck. I like Twenty20. Who doesn’t?”

Admitting that he was growing tired of the “jam-packed” international schedule, Gayle said that he may resign as West Indies captain. “To be honest with you there’s a possibility I might give it up — I will be giving it up shortly. It’s definitely not something I’m looking to hang on to. I need some time for myself.”

He had these words of warning for the England captain after his criticism. “Doesn’t concern him,” he said. “Focus on his team, don’t worry about West Indies and don’t worry about me.”

The likelihood that England will name a team unchanged from the one that won by ten wickets in the first Test of the two-match series increased when Ryan Sidebottom and Ian Bell, the two players added to the squad for the Riverside, were released to play for their counties in the Friends Provident Trophy yesterday. Both players were due to rejoin the squad last night, Sidebottom after driving from the Rose Bowl, where Nottinghamshire lost to Hampshire, then being chauffeured from his home in Nottingham to Chester-le-Street by his wife.

Assuming that Sidebottom does not play, Stuart Broad will continue as England’s new-ball bowler after he was clocked above 90mph on the speed gun during the first Test at Lord’s. As his slender frame completes its development, Broad, 22, believes that he is becoming better equipped to cope with the physical demands of Test cricket.

“I’m certainly stronger, so that’s going to help,” Broad said at the launch of an npower Urban Cricket facility. “But it’s going to help not so much with my first spell as coming back after 80 overs with the second new ball and getting up to 85 or 86mph then.”

In England’s recent contests with West Indies, Broad has watched and learnt from Fidel Edwards about the importance of subtly varying his pace. “Fidel varies his speed quite a lot,” Broad said. “He’ll bowl a length ball and then go really full and make that a yard quicker, which can really surprise you as a batsman. Bowlers who vary their speeds across 5 and 6mph have been quite effective. That’s something I’m trying to implement.”