GAYLE

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

A RECOMMENDATION from the West Indies selection panel for seasoned batting all-rounder Chris Gayle to captain the team for the series of two Twenty/20 and three one-day international (ODI) matches against England has been rejected by the board, which is in favour of Daren Ganga.

And the matter was to be discussed with the chairman of selectors Gordon Greenidge in Antigua last night as he was passing through the island where the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has its headquarters.

Well-placed sources told CMC Sports that the rejection of 27-year-old Jamaican Gayle, a veteran of 168 internationals, was confirmed at a meeting of the WICB executive in Trinidad last Sunday after the squad was chosen the previous day.

In a brief interview with CMC Sports yesterday afternoon, WICB corporate services manager Tony Deyal said an announcement on the captain for the limited overs matches to be played between the last week of June and the first week of July would be made by the end of this week.

"We'll be talking to the chairman of the selectors this (Wednesday) evening. He is passing through Antigua," Deyal said. "After that, we will make an announcement by the end of the week."

Test opening partner

Trinidadian Ganga, 28, is Gayle's Test opening partner, but has played only 35 ODIs in a chequered career which started in 1999 with his last against Pakistan at Lahore in December.

He will lead West Indies in the last two matches of the four-Test series against England after appointed captain Ramnaresh Sarwan was ruled out of the rest of the tour following an injury.

Sarwan damaged his right shoulder as he tumbled on the boundary - while trying to prevent a four - during the second Test at Headingley, Leeds, which West Indies lost by an innings and 283 runs, their heaviest ever Test defeat.

Sarwan, a Guyanese, has returned home to pursue rehabilitation of his acromioclavicular joint.

Sources said veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was West Indies captain a couple years ago, was expected to be vice-captain.

The WICB executive comprises president Ken Gordon, vice-president Val Banks and the six presidents of the regional boards - Tony Marshall (Barbados), Chetram Singh (Guyana), Jackie Hendriks (Jamaica), Gregory Shillingford (Leeward Islands), Deryck Murray (Trinidad & Tobago) and Lennox John (Windward Islands).

According to the sources, Shillingford, a former CEO of the WICB, was absent from Sunday's meeting.