Explosive batsman Chris Gayle was left out of the squads announced for the lone Twenty20 and the first two one-dayers against India starting June 4. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were declared not eligible to represent the West Indies in Twenty20 format.
Published: May 30, 2011, 11:08 AM (IST)
Edited: May 30, 2011, 11:08 AM (IST)
Chris Gayle was ignored by the West Indies Cricket Board for India series despite an immensely successful IPL © Getty Images
St John’s (Antigua): May 30, 2011
At odds with the West Indies Cricket Board, explosive batsman Chris Gayle was left out of the squads announced for the lone Twenty20 and the first two one-dayers against India starting June 4.
“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 WICB said in a statement.
“The Selection Committee views this meeting as necessary as a result of Gayle’s comments in a widely publicised radio interview in Jamaica,” it added.
Gayle, who was recently ignored for the series against Pakistan, has had a massive war of words with the WICB after claiming that he was left to fend for himself during recent injury problems.
An angry WICB retorted by saying that the batsman was well looked after and it was he who kept the Board uninformed while flying out to India to play in the IPL for eventual runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The 31-year-old Gayle was the star of the recently-concluded Twenty20 league finishing as the top-scorer with 608 runs, including a couple of hundreds, but even this destructive form could not fetch him a place in the two national sides to be captained by Darren Sammy.
Pacer Kemar Roach has been rested for the lone Twenty20 and the first two ODIs in Trinidad. Roach will, however, be available for selection for the third ODI of the five-match series.
“It is expected that other players with heavy workloads will also be rested and rotated from time to time throughout the West Indies v India Series 2011 and moving forward,” the WICB said.
The explosive batting duo of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were declared “not eligible to represent the West Indies in Twenty20 format as they did not take part in the last edition of the Caribbean Twenty20”.
But both of them have made the squad for the first two ODIs.”The WICB Selection Criteria outline that for a player to be eligible for selection to the West Indies team he must participate in the corresponding format of the game at the regional level,” the Board explained.
Although he has been allowed to return to “low intensity cricket in Trinidad”, young batsman Adrian Barath has been left out of the two squads as he is still undergoing rehabilitation.
“A decision on his return to international cricket will be taken following the assessment and it is hoped he will be available for the Digicel Test Series West Indies v India,” the WICB said.
Pacer Jerome Taylor, who like Gayle accused WICB of leaving him in a lurch during injury problems, has also been left out of the squad.
“Jerome Taylor is required to play a full season of regional cricket in order to prove his fitness to compete adequately at the international level before being considered for selection,” the WICB stated.
The 12-man Twenty20 group has uncapped left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie as the lone new face. But apart from the 26-year-old Santokie, there is no other change in the side that beat Pakistan in St Lucia in April.
Squad:
Twenty20: Darren Sammy (c), Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher (wk), Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Danza Hyatt, Christopher Barnwell, Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul, Krishmar Santokie.
First two ODIs: Darren Sammy (c), Lendl Simmons, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Carlton Baugh (wk), Andre Russell, Anthony Martin, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul.
© PTI
