Gayle, uncapped Pooran included in Windies ODI squad
Gayle, 39, who last played an ODI back in July 2018, and missed the limited-overs tour against India and Bangladesh, will make his comeback after almost a six-month absence. The Windies have also included the uncapped Nicholas Pooran in the 14-member squad for the first two ODIs against England.
Pooran, the 23-year-old wicket-keeper batsman, has played eight Twenty20 Internationals for his country, and has scored 148 runs averaging 24.66 and has a strike-rate of 152.57. Another notable inclusion in the squad, which will be led by Jason Holder, is that of Ashley Nurse, who will also make his return to the side after recovering from an injury he picked up during the ODIs against India.
However, Shannon Gabriel has been excluded from the series due to 'workload' concerns.
The Windies Chairman of Selectors, Courtney Browne, said the upcoming ODIs against England will help the side gauge where they stand in their preparation for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019.
"As we continue our Cricket World Cup preparations, the upcoming series against the top-ranked ODI side is a great opportunity for us to gauge where we are as a team," said Browne. "This allows us to identify any areas that need addressing relating to selection and also helps the coaching staff to fine tune their game strategy."
He added: "We welcome the return of Chris Gayle who missed the last two series and Ashley Nurse from injury. We are pleased to introduce Nicholas Pooran to the ODI squad 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."
The five-match ODI series will get underway this month on 20 February.
**Squad:**Jason Holder (Captain), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.