West Indies boosted by Chris Gayle's return for 5 match ODI series against England

West Indies shall be boosted by the return of Jamaica's explosive batsman Chris Gayle into their one-day squad. Chris Gayle returns to the Maroon Brigade that shall be taking on England in a five-match ODI series with an aim to qualify directly for the 2019 ICC World Cup.

The Windies which won the one-off T20 against England shall be looking to repeat the same performance in the limited overs series. Windies skipper Jason Holder is confident that Gayle shall have an instrumental role in deciding the fate of the series.

The first of the five ODI's to be held at Old Trafford will mark Gayle's return to international cricket since the 2015 World Cup where he made the first double century in the competition’s history, smashing a blistering 215 against Zimbabwe in Canberra.

Jason Holder’s team will need to win 5-0 or 4-0 with a tie or a no-result if they are to gain direct entry into the 2019 World Cup. A protracted dispute with Cricket West Indies chiefs kept the 37-year-old Jamaica left-hander on the sidelines of the international game for more than two years.

Gayle showcased glimpses of his attacking prowess on his home ground of Sabina Park, Kingston, in July by scoring a quick-fire 40 off 21 balls as World Twenty20 champions West Indies beat England by 21 runs in the lone Twenty20 of their tour at Chester-le-Street on Saturday.