Chris Gayle - file

Information reaching THE STAR is that West Indies captain Chris Gayle has been recommended by the national selection panel to captain Jamaica's team at the upcoming regional West Indies Cricket Board President's Cup one-day tournament, which will be held here October 12-15.

There is still, however, some degree of uncertainty as the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) board have yet to ratify the proposal despite the naming of a 23-member training squad.

Gayle, who is one of five specialist openers named in what is a relatively strong squad, was recommended ahead of regular four-day, and recently-appointed Twenty20 captain, Tamar Lambert.

Lambert, a middle-order batsman, led Jamaica to a historic third consecutive hold on the prestigious regional four-day title earlier this year.

He was, however, unsuccessful in his pursuit to guide Jamaica to title success in the inaugural Caribbean Twenty20 tournament held recently in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

The squad, in the meantime, which includes no major surprises, has Jamaica Defence Force left-arm seamer, Sheldon Cotterell, as its only newcomer.

Cotterell, who is one of five specialist fast bowlers in the squad, has been a standout for the soldiers in local competitions in recent years, however, his first call-up to the national squad in July was curtailed by the army men's involvement in the recent Tivoli Gardens incursion.

The squad also boast three returnees, two of which were members of Manchester Lions' victorious two-day Super League team, and one member from Jamaica's Under-19 contingent, which failed to defend the regional double in St Lucia recently.

The returnees are batsman Donovan Sinclair and pace bowlers Stephan Patterson and Jason Dawes, while the Under-19 player is West Indies off-spinning all-rounder, Jermaine Blackwood.

The squad will start training next week following which a series of trial matches will be held.

It will then be cut to 18 after which the captain will be named. The captain will then form part of the selection panel for the final squad of 14 or 16 players for the tournament.

SQUAD: Christopher Gayle, Tamar Lambert, Xavier Marshall, Brenton Parchment, Danza Hyatt, Donovan Pagon, Marlon Samuels, Wavell Hinds, Brendan Nash, Jermaine Blackwood, David Bernard Jr, Donovan Sinclair, Horace Miller, Carlton Baugh Jr, Bevon Brown, Odean Brown, Andrew Richardson, Stephan Patterson, Jason Dawes, Sheldon Cotterell, Andre Russell, Krishmar Santokie and David Powell.