Ramdin and Samuels back for West Indies

Denesh Ramdin has been recalled to keep wicket and Marlon Samuels to bat in the middle order while Kraigg Brathwaite and Carlton Baugh have lost their Test places in the West Indies squad for the tour of England due to begin in May.

The West Indies selectors named their 15-man squad for the tour on the final morning of the home Test series against Australia, also including the uncapped fast bowler Shannon Gabriel alongside Assad Fudadin, who was named in the squad for the Dominica Test.

The offspinner Shane Shillingford has leapfrogged Devendra Bishoo with two strong displays in the final two Australia Tests to claim the sole spinner's berth, with WICB chairman of selectors Clyde Butts saying that the panel expected pace to be West Indies' primary weapon on early season English pitches.

Bishoo and Brathwaite, who made three ducks and 11 in his final four innings of the Australia series after starting with a doughty half-century, will instead be playing for West Indies A against an India touring team at home. Adrian Barath and Kieran Powell were both included for England despite not passing 50 against Michael Clarke's tourists.

"We are going to England early in the season, where the conditions tend to favour the quick bowlers more than the spinners," Butts said. "Young Gabriel continues to impress the selectors in both regional and A-team cricket, and we feel it is a good time to introduce him to the team. We feel he will be an asset to the team in England and has a bright future in West Indies cricket.

"Shillingford has bowled very well against the Australians and we expect a lot from him in England. Bishoo has done well for West Indies in the last year or so, but he has lost some of his confidence and the selectors feel playing him in the A team against India A will give him the chance to regain that confidence.

"We have got to continue to build for the future and we believe that Barath and Powell have bright futures in the game. We also feel this way about Kraigg Brathwaite, but he too, has lost some of his conviction and the selectors also feel playing him in the A team against India A will give him the chance to regain that confidence. None of the other openers in the region have stood out and we are hoping to strengthen this part of our cricket in future regional tournaments and the A-team tours."

Baugh's omission may mean the end of his West Indies playing days, as he again failed to bridge the gap between the 20s he consistently makes in international matches and the centuries he has compiled in regional competition.

"Baugh has been good behind the stumps, but his batting has not quite lived up to expectations, hence the selection of Ramdin," Butts said. "Before he got injured in the camp prior to the series against Australia, Denesh was showing good form both behind the stumps and with the bat."

Samuels has returned after asking to be exempt from selection for the Australia series in order to participate in the IPL, his cause aided by the fact that numerous young players did not step up quite as hoped in his absence. "Marlon since his return to the team has not done badly for us and the selectors feel that he is an asset to the team," Butts said. "He had asked to miss the Australia matches for a stint at IPL."

There was no sign of Chris Gayle in the squad as the series clashes with the latter part of the Indian Twenty20 tournament, though he remains a possible inclusion for the limited-overs portion of the tour having reached an agreement with the WICB. West Indies' first tour match is against Sussex at Hove from May 5. The first Test begins at Lord's on May 17.