… Gayle expected in last night

THE West Indies and Zimbabwe teams fresh from their one-off T20 encountered on Sunday at the Queen’s Park Oval, arrived in Guyana  early  yesterday morning to do battle in the first and second Digicel  one-day International s to be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Thursday and Saturday. The once mighty West Indies team, who went under to Australia 4-0 in their limited-overs series, arrived here, minus their skipper and star batsman Christopher Gayle.

According to the  West Indies media liaison officer Phillip Spooner, Gayle who was given compassionate leave to be with his ailing mother back in Jamaica after the tour of Australia, was expected to arrive in Guyana last night and will join the team at their practice session at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground this morning.

The pugnacious left-handed opening batsman along with Guyana’s Narsingh Deonarine have been drafted into the team, with Darren Bravo, the younger brother of West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo making way for Deonarine who was surprisingly dropped from the team for the 20/20 against Zimbabwe.

It was evident that the Regional side was missing their 30-year-old talismanic batsman in Gayle who is averaging 33.22 in 20/20, having played 14 matches and amassed 471 runs with a highest score of 117, in the game against Zimbabwe.

Deonarine, whose unbeaten 36 was the top score in the Windies’ last T20 against Australia, albeit on a losing cause, will be looking to cement his place in the side, especially with the mighty South Africans due to compete against the West Indies in the Caribbean next.

The Windies, Deonarine included, had a light physical fitness session at the DCC ground yesterday afternoon under the watchful eyes of coach Ottis Gibson, assistant coach David Williams and trainer Hector Martinez and will be having a full net session at the same venue this morning from 09:00 h and another at the Guyana National Stadium tomorrow.