Four hundred and twenty four runs at a strike-rate of 134.17… That’s Chris Gayle for you in the five-match ODI series for the West Indies against England, which ended 2-2.

The staggering figures certainly earned Gayle the Man-of-the-Series award, as he rounded things off with a 77 off just 27 balls in the final ODI in St Lucia that helped the Windies square the series after they rode Oshane Thomas’s maiden five-wicket haul dismantled England for a paltry 113 in 28.1 overs.

Gayle’s knock on Saturday was also the fastest half-century (off 19 deliveries) by a Windies batsman in the history of the format.

Thanks to another brutal knock from him, the Windies’ seven-wicket win came with as many as 227 balls to spare.

Besides, Gayle hit 39 sixes from the 316 balls he faced in the series — a record in either series or tournaments of any length — meaning he hit every 8.10 balls he faced for a maximum.

Though the left-handed batsman had said last week he could yet be persuaded to extend his career beyond the upcoming World Cup, he confirmed that the recently concluded ODI series was his last in the Caribbean.

“This is my last ODI series in the Caribbean. So, I was giving the fans a nice wave,” Gayle said after the match.

“Right through the tournament, they have been superb from both sides: West Indies and England sides. It would be nice if it was in Jamaica, but the crowds have been fantastic.

“It’s been an honour to wear the crest and entertain the people around the Caribbean. West Indies is No. 1.

“This is the best achievement you can have in the Caribbean as a cricketer. This is the best thing, to be honest with you.

“Also, we’ll get a bit of respect going into the World Cup.”

Gayle, however, doesn’t feel that he is in the form of his life. “I was in a better ODI form in India (in late 2002) when Carl Hooper was captain. I made three centuries in that series, while I made two here,” he said.

Gayle did accept that he might never have played better before in a home series. And even “at 60”, he would still think of scoring “against the best bowlers in the world.”

“I’m thankful for the current form. I wasn’t getting any runs in the T20 tournaments I was playing. So, when you get a chance to score runs, make sure you score heavy.

“But it’s the best I’ve played in my home conditions and I’m happy and grateful for that.

“I’m not surprised by how well I’ve done. Or the number of sixes I hit... Sixes come along. It’s just natural, to be honest.

“In T20s, I score a lot of sixes as well, but this is the first time in an ODI series. To hit 39 sixes aged 39 is fantastic from a personal point of view.

“But my mindset is that, even when I’m 60, I’ll still think I can do it and score runs against the best bowlers in the world. That will never change.

“It’s just the body which is always the worrying part for me,” Gayle added.

But then, what about life post World Cup? Gayle replied: “You’ll just have to wait and see. There’s still a long way to go, so let’s just carry on with life.”