Champs WI now third in T20s

DUBAI, UAE, CMC - West Indies have slumped to third spot in the International Cricket Council's Twenty20 rankings, just a month after emphatically winning the Twenty20 World Cup in India.

They have been bizarrely overtaken by New Zealand who bowed out to losing finalists England at the semi-final stage of the recent tournament.

The Black Caps are now 10 points clear of West Indies at the top of the standings on 132 points, after leaping from third place and overtaking both India and the Caribbean side.

Following their four-wicket victory over England in the T20 World Cup final at Eden Gardens on April 3, West Indies had vaulted into second spot, just one point behind India who topped the rankings with 126 points.

New Zealand were third on 120 points.

Since then, however, New Zealand have gained 12 points without playing a single game, while the second placed India have gained three and West Indies, in contrast, have lost three points.

According to the ICC, the West Indies suffered from the fact the points from the 2012-13 season, which included those from their maiden T20 World Cup triumph in Sri Lanka, have now been dropped.

Lara: Return of Bravo, Pollard vital for Tri-Nations

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC Batting legend Brian Lara wants to see the return of the likes of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, for next month's Tri-Nations Series involving Australia and South Africa.

Both players have been overlooked by selectors for One-Day Internationals since the controversial abandoned limited overs tour of India two years ago but Lara said having them involved in Twenty20 Internationals alone, was a backward step.

"In terms of the Tri-Nations, I think it's going to be a pretty exciting Tri-Nations series," the former West Indies captain said.

"And hopefully we can have the likes of Pollard and Bravo some guys who have not played that form of the game [recently] back in the team because they are integral of any West Indies team.

"Just to have them for the T20 version I think is doing a disservice to West Indies cricket."

Renegades open to Gayle's return

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC Melbourne Renegades have hinted they are not opposed to re-signing superstar West Indies opener Chris Gayle for the new Big Bash season, despite his now infamous "don't blush baby" controversy.

The development follows the announcement from Cricket Australia's chief executive, James Sutherland, who said recently cricket authorities here would not prohibit Gayle from a return to the glitzy Twenty20 showpiece.

Gayle sparked a firestorm of controversy earlier this year when he appeared to openly flirt with Channel TEN report Mel McLaughlin during a live television interview, during a game against Hobart Hurricanes.

However, despite a US$10,000 fine from Renegades, a verbal censure from Cricket Australia and widespread calls for a Big Bash ban, Renegades head coach David Saker said he was unaware of any move to prevent Gayle's return.