West Indies drop Gayle; include Russell, Samuels in T20 squad

West Indies cricket superstar Chris Gayle has been rested as the selection panel picked a 13-man squad to take on Bangladesh, while Andre Russell, who was dropped from the playing XI in the last ODI, has managed to retain his place in the T20 squad. Marlon Samuels too made a comeback after recovering from a knee injury.

West Indies cricket superstar Chris Gayle has been rested as the selection panel picked a 13-man squad to take on Bangladesh, while Andre Russell, who was dropped from the playing XI in the last ODI, has managed to retain his place in the T20 squad. Marlon Samuels too made a comeback after recovering from a knee injury.

The squad still has no place for T20 stars like Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo.

Chris Gayle’s substandard performance with the bat while opening in the ODI series against Bangladesh may have led the selection panel to acknowledge the strong performances of the young players in West Indies B team.  

The opener managed to score only 142 runs in the ODI series against Bangladesh. Even his best knock of 73 off 66 balls in the series decider came in a losing cause.

"We have rested Chris Gayle and have added left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell for variety to the bowling attack," chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said. "The team reflects the last squad that performed well in the charity match in the UK."

Left-arm pacer Cottrell, who last played a T20I against New Zealand in January this year, is all set to make a comeback in the squad in place of Rayad Emrit.

Having lost the ODI series to Bangladesh, the highly optimistic West Indian squad will look to return the favour as they take on Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series beginning in St. Kitts on July 31.

Windies T20I squad: Carlos Brathwaite (c), Samuel Badree, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Fletcher, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Chadwick Walton (wk), Kesrick Williams.