Cricket: Windies batting boost from Gayle, Samuels

Chris Gayle of West Indies. Photo / Getty Images

Batting big guns Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels will boost the West Indies for their two limited overs series in New Zealand.

Separate squads were unveiled for the three-match one-day international series starting on December 20 and the subsequent three-match Twenty20 series from December 29.
Proven batsmen Gayle and Samuels will play in both, adding experience and strike power to the tourists, who are 1-0 down in the two-match test series.

Gayle, 38, is renowned as one of the world's most destructive batsmen. He hasn't played a test for more than three years.

Both were part of the team who beat England in a one-off T20 in September but were then swept 4-0 in the ODI series in England.

Allrounder Kieron Pollard and spinner Sunil Narine are named in what is a full-strength T20I squad.

Uncapped fast bowlers Ronsford Beaton and Rayad Emrit are in line to make their T20 debuts.

Both impressed with their wicket-taking prowess in this year's Caribbean Premier League in the Windies.

Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller is recalled for the ODI series only, having last played for the West Indies nearly three years ago, at the 2015 World Cup.

Selection chairman Courtney Browne says Miller's return is with next year's World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in mind.

The West Indies must contest that tournament in March after their world ranking slipped to ninth, meaning they don't automatically qualify for the 2019 World Cup.

"So these matches [in New Zealand] will be used to help us identify the players that will play during the qualifiers, and this is why we have also taken the opportunity to introduce Ronsford Beaton," Browne said.

"Though, he is more known for his pace and variations in T20 cricket, we believe he can add value within our ODI bowling unit."

Windies squads

ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt), Jason Mohammed, Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick Williams.

T20 squad: Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Samuel Badree, Ronsford Beaton, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.

- NZN