West Indies master-blaster batsman Chris Gayle will play for Somerset in this summer's NatWest T20 Blast. Destructive opener Gayle will join Somerset in late May, the exact date of his arrival depending on his involvement in the knockout stages of the Indian Premier League, and he will remain with them until June 13. Somerset hope the 35-year-old will therefore be available for six matches. Chris Gayle has signed for Somerset for the upcoming NatWest T20 blast competition . Gayle gestures to the crowd after West Indies' defeat to New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup in Wellington . Gayle is to miss next month's Test series against England in the Caribbean as he struggles with a back injury which is curtailing his opportunities in cricket's longer formats. He is a prolific boundary hitter, with more than 8,000 runs to his name in Twenty20 cricket around the world - and Test and one-day international statistics to match. He said: 'I'm excited about joining Somerset for the NatWest t20 Blast this year. 'Many of the club's members and supporters will know that I came close to playing for the county in 2012 and I have always felt that, if I was able to, I wanted to honour that commitment to Somerset. I'm looking forward to coming to Taunton and scoring some runs.' The New Zealand players celebrate after dismissing the explosive batsman in the quarter-final . Somerset director of cricket Matthew Maynard added: 'Signing a world-class player of the quality of Chris Gayle is tremendously exciting for the club. 'He will be a tremendous addition to our already extremely strong squad. He is an inspirational character and we are delighted to be bringing him to Somerset.' Gayle poses with a policewomen during his time at the Cricket World Cup with the West Indies .
Somerset hope Chris Gayle can play six games for them in T20 blast . Explosive West Indies batsman could arrive later due to IPL games . Gayle said: 'I'm excited about joining Somerset for the NatWest t20 Blast'