Chris Gayle, Fidel Edwards return as West Indies name squad for Sri Lanka T20I series
Chris Gayle returns to the West Indies side after two years, with the “Universe Boss” included in the T20I squad for the Sri Lanka series. 39-year-old Fidel Edwards has been included as well, and the fast bowler is in line to make his first appearance for the national side since 2012.
Both Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards have been rewarded for their impressive performances in T20 leagues across the world. West Indies will host Sri Lanka for three T20 games on March 3, 5 and 7, with the matches set to be the first few international games to take place at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Explaining their decision to bring back Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards from the cold, chief selector Roger Harper admitted the T20 series allows them to evaluate players ahead of the T20 World Cup scheduled later this year.
“Chris Gayle has performed very well in recent tournaments and the selection panel thinks that he can still add great value to our team. Fidel Edwards has been selected to give the bowling the potent firepower needed,"
The selection marks Chris Gayle’s return to the side, with the destructive batsman having last played for West Indies in 2019. After the ODI against India, Chris Gayle had then claimed that it was his last international appearance.
But his return to the side comes at an opportune time for both him and West Indies, as they build-up to the T20 World Cup. If selected, the Jamaican opener can be a crucial cog in the West Indies side that will aim to defend their T20 crown later this year. He has scored 1627 runs at an average of 32.54 for West Indies, with a stunning strike rate of 142.84.
Apart from the return of Gayle and Edwards, West Indies’ 14-man T20I squad has several other surprises as well. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein gets his first T20 call-up, while star all-rounder Andre Russell misses out as he continues to recover from COVID-19.
Fast bowlers Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas, along with batsman Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Roston Chase have been dropped from the side after failing to meet the minimum fitness standards.
West Indies announce ODI squad as well
A 13-man ODI squad was also announced for the three-match series between West Indies and Sri Lanka. The games will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on March 10, 12 and 14, with the series part of the ICC ODI Super League.
T20 squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Fabien Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Rovman Powell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair.
ODI squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair.