Gayle recall to boost Windies in ODI series against England

The recall of Chris Gayle to the West Indies ODI squad, for the first time since the 2015 World Cup, has dominated the countdown to the upcoming five-match series against England.

But Gayle -- one of the biggest draws in the game -- is likely to make his first appearance against Ireland on Wednesday.

Gayle arrived with the 15-man squad in Northern Ireland on Monday after the West Indies board announced an amnesty which has also seen the return of Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor.

“The panel welcomes back Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who will both add value to our batting and help with the nurturing of the young batsmen in the team,” said chairman of selectors Courtney Browne.

The selectors will also hope the experienced pair -- Samuels is 36 and Gayle celebrates his 38th birthday on the day of the second ODI against England next week -can help West Indies qualify for the next World Cup.

But unless they beat Ireland and then win four of the five games against England they will find themselves in the qualifying tournament next March, along with Ireland, Afghanistan and hosts Zimbabwe.

Only two qualifiers will join the top eight in the rankings at the end of this month at the 2019 finals in England.

After his selection, Gayle confirmed he wanted to play in the finals.

“The fans were happy to see me back on the field representing West Indies,” said Gayle.