St. John’s (Antigua), Nov 1 (IANS/CMC) Chris Gayle has yet again been overlooked by the West Indies selectors while picking the squad for the three-Test series against India, starting in New Delhi Nov 6.
The panel Monday decided to retain the 15-member squad currently playing in Bangladesh, with Lendl Simmons returning home to nurse a back injury.
Gayle remains estranged from the West Indies side following his dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over his comments on a Jamaican radio station in May.
The WICB has demanded an apology from Gayle for his remarks, but the opener refused, wanting to know what he should he apologise for.
Gayle remains an enormously popular figure among West Indies fans, gaining loud cheers from spectators in Guyana, where he led Jamaica to the Clive Lloyd Trophy for winning the Regional Super50 tournament Saturday at the Guyana National Stadium.
West Indies will thus persist with the young pair of teenager Kraigg Brathwaite and left-hander Kieran Powell with Adrian Barath considered fit enough to tour India.
Barath remained with the team, recovering from the hamstring injury that sidelined him during the One-day International series in Bangladesh.
The second Test is in Kolkata and the third in Mumbai followed by a five-match One-day series.
The squad:
Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford.
