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Gayle, Samuels to face Zimbabwe in Test series

Sport
WEST INDIES star batsman Chris Gayle will return to competitive cricket for the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe after being rested from the limited overs leg of the tour.

WEST INDIES star batsman Chris Gayle will return to competitive cricket for the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe after being rested from the limited overs leg of the tour.

SPORTS REPORTER

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) confirmed Gayle’s return on their official website yesterday, adding the hard-hitting batsman would prepare for the two Tests by featuring for his native Jamaica in the WICB Regional four-day tournament beginning tomorrow.

Gayle, who had a hectic season for the West Indies after his return to the national team last year, requested to be rested for the home ODIs and T20s against Zimbabwe.

Gayle said: “I felt that I had been playing a lot of cricket and I was getting mentally drained and that is not good. Your cricket will fall apart if you’re mentally drained, and I felt the need to take a break. I asked them, WICB, for the break and, thankfully, it was granted.”

Marlon Samuels, another key member of the West Indies team, is also expected to return to the hosts’ side after being named in the Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre squad to play against Zimbabwe starting tomorrow.

Samuels missed the limited overs leg of the tour as he was still recovering from the facial injury that he suffered at the Big Bash League in Australia after being struck in the face while facing Lasith Malinga. West Windies paceman Kemar Roach was also named in Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre squad.

The three-day contest will be played from tomorrow to Saturday at the Desmond Haynes Oval at the Carlton Cricket Club complex and will be a minimum of 90 overs per day.

The teams will be allowed to use 13 players per side with 11 allowed to bat. First ball is 10am (9am Jamaica time). Samuels and Roach are listed in the top 20 of the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings. Roach, the 24-year-old new ball bowler, is at number 12 in bowling, while Samuels, the experienced middle-order batsman, is at number 18 in batting.