Ramnaresh Sarwan (right) and Chris Gayle celebrating their win over Australia in the ICC Champion Trophy last year. - File

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Predictably, Ramnaresh Sarwan has been retained as captain and Chris Gayle has been named his deputy for the ICC Twenty20 World Championship to be contested next month in South Africa.

Sarwan will be making a return to the side following a shoulder injury that cut short his participation in the tour of England this year. Gayle, who led the limited-overs squad during that part of the England trip, has been elevated to the vice-captaincy in the new dispensation.

It also appears that Gayle will face no disciplinary action for his critical comments about the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in a column on a website during the tour of England, when he highlighted the governing body's handling of his appointment to lead the limited-overs side and the late arrival of replacement players for the unit.

Management changes

The WICB have also made a couple of changes to the manage-ment team for the Championship former West Indies wicketkeeper Mike Findlay has retained the position of manager and Australian David Moore will remain head coach for the trip, there is a new assistant coach and physiotherapist. David Williams, the former Trinidad & Tobago captain and West Indies wicketkeeper, replaces former Barbados off-spin bowler Hendy Springer in the position of assistant coach.

Springer had been part of the West Indies coaching staff since the tour of Pakistan last year, and he was deputy to Moore when the team visited England earlier this year, but Williams has been preferred for this trip.

Jacqui King-Mowatt will perform the role of physiotherapist, since Australian Stephen Partridge is unavailable for the trip.