Gayle

Chris Gayle was yesterday named in Jamaica's 13-member squad for the opening round in the West Indies Cricket Board Regional Four-day Tournament fixture at Sabina Park this weekend.

Gayle, who missed last season due to international club commitments, is one of three players recalled by the national selectors.

The others are middle-order batsman Donovan Pagon and opener Brendan Parchment.

"It's good to know that we will have someone of the calibre of Chris Gayle for at least the opening game," said Courtnay Daley, chairman of selectors.

winning start

"This gives us a good opport-unity to make a winning start, as we seek to defend our title, and go for our fifth in a row."

Gayle last represented Jamaica at the Regional Super50 tournament late last year when as captain he guided the team to title honours.

He was, however, missing in action at the cash-rich Caribbean Twenty20 tournament earlier this month due to participation in the Australian Big Bash League.

Gayle, in the meantime, is one of two players in the squad, who after the Windwards match will depart the country for Asia to play in the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The other is the outstanding Andre Russell.

"We just hope that when he (Gayle), and the others go off for Bangladesh they will return and make themselves available for the final leg of the tournament," said Daley.

available

Gayle and Russell will be joined on the trip to the Far East by Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor, who did not make themselves available for selection for the Windwards match.

All four were successful in gaining a contract to participate in the BPL following an auction of several of the world's top players.

Gayle, following the BPL, is also scheduled to head off to South Africa to participate in that country's Twenty20 league.

He was bought for US$551,000 (J$47,248,338), Samuels for US$360,000 (J$30,870,011), and Russell and Taylor for US$50,000 (J$4,716,250) for the Bangladesh league.

The Bangladesh Twenty20 League will be held between February 12 and February 20.

The regional four-day tournament, meanwhile, will be held between February 3 and April 10.

Jamaica's squad which has one newcomer in off-spinner Jamie Merchant, also boasts Brendan Nash, who missed the Regional Super50, and the Caribbean Twenty20, due to a request for a break.

Squad: Tamar Lambert - captain, Nikita Miller, Christopher Gayle, Simon Jackson, Brenton Parchment, Donovan Pagon, Brendan Nash, David Bernard Jr, Carlton Baugh Jr, Odean Brown, Andre Russell, Andre Richardson, Jamie Merchant.