… Gayle still suffering from groin injury; Chattergoon injured
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Injury has forced West Indies captain Chris Gayle out of the 14-man squad announced yesterday for the opening Test against Australia starting next Thursday in Jamaica.

Gayle is still suffering from a groin injury and Ramnaresh Sarwan will lead the squad in his absence.

There are no surprises in the squad though batsman Runako Morton and Brenton Parchment, who missed out against the Sri Lankans, have been included.

The left-handed Gayle has been struggling with the injury since the final One-Day International of the three-match series against Sri Lanka last month.

It forced him out of the Indian Premier League where he had been contracted to the Kolkata Knight Riders for US$800 000.

After impressing selectors with his leadership on the tour of South Africa earlier this year, Gayle was named captain for the Sri Lanka series where the Windies drew the Test series 1-1 and won the ODI series 3-0.

Sarwan, from whom Gayle took over as captain, will now lead the squad for the first Test at Sabina Park.

Morton, who scored heavily in the latter stages of the Carib Cup competition, makes a return to the squad and will be joined by Parchment, who played one Test against South Africa earlier this year in January.

After a wretched tour of South Africa, the right-handed Morton plundered 414 runs in three Carib Cup matches to keep himself in the selectors’ memory.

The 25-year-old Parchment, in contrast, managed just 107 runs from his three matches for Jamaica, after returning from South Africa.

Batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, both of whom have been playing in the IPL, have left India and are due to join the team in Jamaica tomorrow.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo, named as the team’s vice-captain, played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL yesterday and is also scheduled to leave India shortly to join the team in Jamaica.

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who bowled impressively against Sri Lanka, will once again lead the attack with support from fellow pacers Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards.

Trinidadian off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth has been named in the squad along with lanky Barbadian left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn who made his debut against Sri Lanka in March.

TEAM – Ramnaresh Sarwan (captain), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ryan Hinds, Amit Jaggernauth, Runako Morton, Darren Sammy, Devon Smith, Brenton Parchment, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Jerome Taylor.