Spread out lads, Gayle’s back!

CHRIS GAYLE has been recalled for West Indies’ first two one-day internationals against England. Gayle, the Windies’ most prolific centurion in ODIs with 23 and second only to Brian Lara in runs scored, opted out of the pre-Christmas tours of Bangladesh and India but pledged his commitment to the five matches against Eoin Morgan’s No 1 ranked team. The 39-year-old (pictured) spent a couple of years in international exile but returned 16 months ago on the tour of the UK and is clearly intent on featuring in a fifth World Cup this summer. Another destructive left-handed batsman Nicholas Pooran, 23, will hope to make his ODI debut in Barbados on February 20 following an impressive start to his Twenty20 international career in which his strike rate is 152.7. Windies chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said: ‘The series against the top-ranked ODI side is a great opportunity for us. We are pleased to introduce Nicholas Pooran to ODI cricket for the first time. He is clearly a young player with undoubted talent and we believe he can add value to our middle order. ‘Shannon Gabriel remains very much in our World Cup plans but with a heavy workload expected in the Test series he will be considered for selection later in the ODI series.’ Ben Stokes’ nemesis Marlon Samuels is ruled out with a knee injury.

WEST INDIES ONE-DAY SQUAD: Holder (capt), Allen, Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Gayle, Hetmyer, Hope (wkt), Lewis, Nurse, Paul, Pooran, Powell, Roach, Thomas.