West Indies announce squad for first Test

Gayle ignored as WICB decides to reach out to the opener again.

KINGSTON:

Chris Gayle continues to be ignored for selection for the first Test between West Indies and India starting June 20, following the lack of progress made in resolving the stand-off between the opener and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The only change to the squad from the one that was selected to play the second Test against Pakistan is that of opener Adrian Barath, who is replacing Kraigg Brathwaite. All-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been ignored as well.

Bravo had skipped the Test series against Pakistan, preferring to play in the Indian Premier League. He returned for the One-Day International series against India and played the first two games before asking to be rested for the remaining matches. Bravo had said he wanted to “refocus, reflect” and “rejoin the team for the Tests.”

Shivnarine Chanderpaul makes a comeback after missing the second Test against Pakistan and the limited-overs series against India through injury.

The WICB, however, said it would hold a meeting with Chanderpaul before the first Test.

“Following communications between WICB management and Chanderpaul the WICB management and team management will meet with him prior to the Test,” the board said. “The WICB management and team management will outline to Chanderpaul the WICB’s expectations of him in his future participation in the West Indies team as a player.”

Meanwhile, the WICB will be writing to Gayle after a meeting with its board of directors, outlining the way forward in the ongoing discord between the former captain and the administrators amid reports that the opener could quit international cricket and turn himself into a freelancer, playing in Twenty20 leagues all over the world.

West Indies

Darren Sammy (c), Brendan Nash, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons



Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2011.