Chris Gayle named as Stanford skipper

West Indies captain Chris Gayle has been named as the skipper for the Stanford Superstars in the forthcoming Super Series.

Antigua and Barbuda skipper Sylvester Joseph will be Gayle's deputy.

Sir Viv Richards led the panel who chose the pair to face Trinidad and Tobago in the first match on 25 October and England for US$20m (£11.5m).

Richards said of Jamaican Gayle: "He's an experienced international cricketer and possesses a cool head.

"He is the best man for the job in this all-important match."

Gayle, a left-handed opener, will go head-to-head with England captain Kevin Pietersen for the big-money match, the last in the series, on 1 November.

In addition to his five international Twenty20 appearances, the 29-year-old Gayle has featured in 73 Test matches and 186 one day internationals.

The 30-year-old Joseph has played two Twenty20 matches, five Tests, and 13 ODIs.

The Stanford Superstars 17-man squad remains unchanged and is continuing preparations in Antigua.

Stanford Superstars squad: Chris Gayle (captain), Sylvester Joseph (vice captain), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Lennox Cush, Travis Dowlin, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chad Hampson, Lindon James (wicketkeeper), Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard, Daren Powell, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor.