West Indies v India 2011

Gayle left out of squad to face India

ESPNcricinfo staff

May 30, 2011

Chris Gayle  remains out of favour with the West Indies Cricket board (WICB) after his controversial radio interview last month and has not been included in the squad for the Twenty20 game and the first two ODIs against India. Despite Gayle finishing as the leading run-getter in the IPL, the board has said it will not consider him for selection until it meets with him.

Allrounder Kieron Pollard is back in the side for the first two ODIs, while the fast bowler Kemar Roach has been rested for the Trinidad leg of the series due to his heavy workload.

The uncapped left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie, of Jamaica, has been picked in the Twenty20 squad, which otherwise has no changes from the XI that beat Pakistan in St Lucia in April. Pollard and Dwayne Bravo could not be included in the Twenty20 outfit having not played in the most recent Caribbean Twenty20 tournament, which is part of the WICB selection criteria.

Chris Gayle

The selectors were also unwilling to choose Gayle, who slammed the West Indies board on radio after he was not picked in the squad to take on Pakistan last month. In a statement naming the squad to face India, the WICB explained the omission of Gayle, who was named as the Player of the Tournament in the IPL.

"Chris Gayle will not be considered for selection to the West Indies team before an intended meeting with himself, the selection committee, the WICB management and the West Indies team management," the statement said. "The selection committee views this meeting as necessary as a result of Gayle's comments in a widely publicised radio interview in Jamaica."

There was also no room for Jerome Taylor, who like Gayle claimed the WICB failed to contact him about how he was recovering from an injury until after he had departed for the IPL. The selection committee said in the statement that Taylor must play a full season of regional cricket to prove his fitness for international level.

The opening batsman Adrian Barath has returned to low-intensity cricket in Trinidad but is still undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a serious hamstring injury before the World Cup, and it is expected he will be fit for the Tests against India. Following Saturday's Twenty20 in Trinidad, West Indies and India play two ODIs there, before heading to Antigua to continue the series.

Twenty20 squad: Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher (wk), Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Danza Hyatt, Darren Sammy (capt), Christopher Barnwell, Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul, Krishmar Santokie.

Squad for first two ODIs: Lendl Simmons, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy (capt), Carlton Baugh (wk), Andre Russell, Anthony Martin, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Post by

M Usman Arshad