WIndies team announced; Gayle back at helm

Kingston: Chris Gayle, who has not played international cricket since the home series against India in July due to the contractual dispute between WICB and the players` union, has been reappointed West Indies captain for the upcoming tour of Australia.

According to reports, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) sat down in Barbados on Saturday to approve the selectors` recommendation of Gayle and several leading dailies in the region have reported Gayle`s return as leader for the tough tour.

Gayle has led the side since 2007 but said in May that he wasn`t intending to remain in the job in the long term and would also consider giving up Test cricket in the near future.

Gayle`s comments frustrated the WICB`s new chief executive Ernest Hilaire, who said in September that his future as the captain was not guaranteed, but after several months off due to the player strike, Gayle is simply keen to return to any form of cricket.

(With Agency Inputs)

The Squad:

Chris Gayle (captain), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor, Gavin Tonge.