LONDON — There was some rare good news for West Indies cricket when Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels were included in the one-day squad for next month’s series against England Monday.

Batsman Gayle, one of the biggest drawcards in world cricket, has not represented West Indies since the 2015 World Cup, while Samuels has been absent for a year because of a dispute with the board.

Neither plays for a Test side whose much-mourned decline in fortunes was much in evidence during the innings and 209-run defeat at the hands of England at Edgbaston last week.

Sunil Narine, and Dwayne and Darren Bravo all made themselves unavailable for the five-match ODI series, which begins in Manchester on Sept. 19 and concludes in Southampton on Sept. 29.

“The panel welcomes back Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who will both add value to our batting and help with the nurturing of the young batsmen in the team,” CWI chief selector Courtney Browne said in a statement.

“Both Sunil Narine and Darren Bravo have declined to be considered for ODIs in England.

“Narine has, however, confirmed his desire to play 50-over cricket again but has asked to play in our Regional Super 50 before he is considered and Darren said he was not available for selection.

“Dwayne Bravo said he is still not 100 percent fit, but is looking at a possible return to international cricket next year.”

Gayle, who turns 38 next month, has scored 9,221 runs in 269 ODIs for the Caribbean islands, while Samuels has scored 5,180 in 187.

The pair share the record for the highest partnership in one-day cricket with the 372 they combined for against Zimbabwe in Canberra during the last World Cup.

Samuels refused a retainer from the board last year and was dropped for deciding to play in the Pakistan Super League rather than the Caribbean’s Super 50 competition.

Squad: Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder (captain), Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed (vice captain), Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Kesrick Williams.

Agar set for recall

Ashton Agar looks set to play his first cricket Test in four years against Bangladesh Sunday after coach Darren Lehmann suggested Australia would go with two spinners for the series opener in Mirpur.

The 23-year-old left-arm finger spinner made his test debut as a teenager in the 2013 Ashes series, starring more with bat than ball in two matches against England that remain his only experience of the longest form of the game.

With Steven O’Keefe having been dropped despite a brilliant tour of India earlier this year, however, Agar is in the driving seat to get the nod ahead of uncapped leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson in a twin spin attack with Nathan Lyon.

The tourists were robbed of their only practice match by the Dhaka rain Monday, which Lehmann said made it even less likely he would radically overhaul his team from that which finished the tour of India in March.

“We obviously haven’t played too much, so we’re fairly settled in where we want to go,” he told reporters in the Bangladesh capital.

“That decision will be made later, once we start to have a look at the test wicket and the conditions. Most likely, I think we’ll play two spinners.”

Agar toured India with Australia earlier this year but never got a chance to play as his fellow left-armer O’Keefe took 19 wickets at an average of 23.26, including 12 in the first test at Pune.

O’Keefe, 32, was fined A$20,000 ($15,838) for “highly inappropriate behavior” and was dumped for the Bangladesh tour in favor of the younger man.

“Steven was excellent over there but we’ve decided to go with Ashton,” Lehmann said.

The first Test starts Sunday with the second in Chittagong scheduled from Sept. 4-8. — Reuters