Samuels JAMAICA MIDDLE-order batsman Marlon Samuels was overlooked by the West Indies selectors for the four-Test tour of England yesterday.
Samuels, who has played 23 Tests, was a member of the World Cup squad but did not find favour with the selection panel of chairman Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts, Clyde Butts and newly elected captain Ramnaresh Sarwan when the 15-man Test squad was revealed yesterday.
His exclusion may not come as a big surprise as he was not part of the West Indies' last Test squad which faced Pakistan, but there were some surprises in the 15.
Among them was the exclusion of a back-up wicketkeeper and any spinners, especially for a tour which is almost two months long.
However, the squad, which was largely predictable, sees the inclusion of three Jamaicans - Chris Gayle, Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell. Ravi Rampaul and all-rounder Darren Sammy, both who have yet to play at the Test level, are also included.
Sammy, 23, who was picked to tour India early this year but was ruled out due to injury, has played two ODIs against New Zealand and Bangladesh, while the 22-year-old Rampaul, who has the distinction of taking 10 wickets in an innings of regional youth cricket, has played 17 ODIs.
Rampaul, who made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2003, has suffered from a number injuries which have kept him out of the regional side.
Joseph returns
The party also sees the return of Sylvester Joseph, who last played for the West Indies in Sri Lanka in 2005, when most of the top players boycotted the tour.
Joseph has played four Tests and scored 133 runs at 16.62 with a best of 45. His first match was against England in Manchester in August 2004.
Fidel Edwards, who missed the World Cup but was a part of the West Indies' party to Pakistan late last year, and Devon Smith, who last played Tests against Australia in 2005, are also included.
The side leaves the Caribbean on May 8 and plays one three-day warm-up match against Somerset before the Lord's Test on May 17.
On the tour, the West Indies will play four Tests, three one-day internationals and two Twenty/20 matches. The first Test will be at Lord's (May 17-21) while the second, third and fourth will be played at Leeds (25-29), Manchester (June 7-11) and Durham (June 15-19) respectively.
The ODI matches will be played on June 1, 4 and 7 at Lord's, Birmingham and Nottingham, respectively, while the Twenty/20 contests start on May 28.
The Test squad: Ramnaresh Sarwan (captain), Daren Ganga, Devon Smith, Chris Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Sylvester Joseph, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul.
