Thu | Jul 9, 2026

Gayle to captain Jamaica

Published:Sunday | September 26, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Tamar Lambert (left), Nikita Miller (centre) and James Adams, technical director of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), look on from the pavilion during the fourth JCA trial match, at Sabina Park yesterday. The Jamaicans are preparing for the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board President's Cup one-day series. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Jermaine Lannaman, Sunday Gleaner Writer

It is now official. Chris Gayle will captain Jamaica's senior cricket team at next month's West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President's Cup one-day tournament.

The tournament, which will be held here in Jamaica, will see Gayle leading the team ahead of regular four-day and recently appointed Twenty20 captain, Tamar Lambert.

"I can comfirm, the selectors in their wisdom and evaluation, made a recommendation and the board of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) ratified the decision," Paul Campbell, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday.

"The selectors took a look at the report coming out of the Twenty20, figured that whereas Tamar Lambert represents a good choice of captain, and in particular the longer version, it was felt that at this time Chris Gayle was a better choice for the one-dayers," he added.

Jamaica, which on paper had one of the better teams at the Twenty20 tournament, which was held jointly by Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in July, performed poorly to finish fourth.

Back then, it was theorised that the selection of Lambert, which came on the eve of the team's departure for the tournament and the resulting snub of Gayle, contributed to the team's finish.

Squad to be named today

Gayle, who was absent from the team's final two trial matches - which concluded yesterday at Sabina Park - due to an engagement in the eastern Caribbean, is expected to meet with other members of the national selection committee today for the naming of the team's 14-man squad for the tournament.

In yesterday's final trial match, in-form batsman Danza Hyatt followed up his 59 in Friday's third trial match with 86 to lead Lambert's XI to a six-wicket win over David Bernard Jr's XI.

Batting first, Bernard Jr XI made 221-6 off 50 overs, with young wicketkeeper/batsman, Horace Miller, hitting 60 off 46 balls and Brendan Nash 45 off 46. Odean Brown took 3-31 off 10 overs.

Lambert XI, in their reply, coasted to 226-3 off 45.5 overs, with Hyatt hitting five fours and three sixes and wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh Jr ending on 63 not out. Donovan Pagon made 20.