I'm pretty certain Gayle actually public ally stated he was available for test selection in Oz.
I'd have played Sammy for his captaincy, useful tail end batting and a good enough fourth seam option. He'd have flourished with a decent team around him, he couldn't do crap coming in 60/5 or opening the bowling.
Sammy vs Pollard is a very interesting topic, both with pretty atrocious records but one is respected and gutsy trier while the other loaded with ability but is lazy and aloof
Gayle has said he is not retired but was not available for OZ tests last year due to injury.
A specialist captain is a luxury any losing team struggles to keep as the team needs to be better. Jason Holder is a better bowling option long term than Sammy, who has declined, and Holder's batting is comming on nicely. Even if you think that Holder will remain a spud, Sammy is just a different test spud.
But most their t20 stars bar Gayle are not strong test players let alone world class test cricketers. They need out and out bowlers and batsmen, not all rounders with clever slower balls effective for 4 overs of run containment and death bowling and sloggers with 140+ SR who can hit huge 6's.
Think of a test team with Sammy, Dre Russ, Pollard, DJ Bravo, to go with current test players Braithwaite and Holder supporting specialists D Bravo, M Samuels, Taylor and Roach. It is still horrible. Even if you drop Holder, Roach and Taylor.
They need better specialists, with one or two all rounders, not a team of them.
Jason Holder will hopefully keep improving. He needs his bowling average to drop, but his batting is getting very sound. They had a star fast bowler at the U-19s with real pace. Alzarri Joseph, so hopefully he becomes a gun. Roach is not bad, but they desperately need far more runs from the specialist batsmen.
Sammy, they should sign up already for coaching or team manager, just give him a role with the team when available. He is a great leader and mentor in the making.
