Gayle back as Windies captain to tour Australia

Bridgetown:

Chris Gayle was reinstated as West Indies captain to lead a full-strength squad on a three-Test tour of Australia later this month.

The 30-year-old Jamaican was appointed on Monday after he and other leading players had withdrawn from a home series against Bangladesh in July and the Champions Trophy in September due to a long-standing contract conflict with the West Indies Cricket Board.

Only four players that made themselves available during the strike action - allrounder Darren Sammy, batsman Travis Dowlin and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge - were selected to tour Australia from November 18.

Gayle, who has played 82 tests, will open the batting with 19-year-old Adrian Barath, the only player in the squad without international experience.

Barath, from Trinidad & Tobago, had been chosen in a 13-man squad for the test series against Bangladesh before the dispute between WICB and the West Indies Players' Association.

Jerome Taylor returns to lead the pace attack, and will be aided by Ravi Rampaul, Roach and Tonge.

Taylor's usual new ball partner, Fidel Edwards, has been forced to miss the series after injuring his knee while playing for Deccan Chargers during last month's Champions League in India.

Shivnarine Chanerpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and allrounder Dwayne Bravo are also back from strike action.

Australian-born Brendan Nash will return home for the first time as a West Indies player since making his debut 18 months ago.

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.