The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) sat down in Barbados on Saturday to approve the selectors' recommendation of Gayle and several leading dailies in the region have reported Gayle's return as leader for the tough tour. The WICB is expected to name a 15-man squad later on Monday.
Gayle, 30, has not played international cricket since the home series against India in July due to the ugly contractual dispute between WICB the players' union. In his absence, the selectors were fielded depleted teams, led by Floyd Reifer, against Bangladesh and in the Champions Trophy. The name of Daren Ganga, who captained Trinidad & Tobago to the final of the inaugural Champions League, has been closely linked in the ever-changing story of the captaincy.
Gayle has led the side since 2007 but said in May that he wasn't intending to remain in the job in the long term and would also consider giving up Test cricket in the near future. His comments frustrated the WICB's new chief executive Ernest Hilaire, who said in September that Gayle's future as the captain was not guaranteed, but after several months off due to the player strike Gayle is simply keen to return to any form of cricket.
Gayle has had mixed results as captain, winning three Tests out of 14 and 13 ODIs out of 38. He led West Indies to two series wins in one-dayers, including an away victory against England last year, and against the touring Sri Lanka. He presided over a surprise win in the first Test against South Africa in Johannesburg but his side went on to lose the next two games and the series.
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