A WAR OF WORDS is developing between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and former West Indies captain Chris Gayle.
It stems from the outspoken batsman’s decision to accept a late offer to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In a strongly-worded statement yesterday, the WICB expressed its surprise that Gayle was making arrangements to play in India and conveyed its disappointment in how the player handled the situation.
Gayle responded later in the day, saying a lack of communication from the board left him with no option but to take up the offer to join the Royal Bangalore Challengers.
The WICB granted Gayle a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the IPL only after the powerful left-handed opening batsman notified the board of his decision not to make himself available for selection for the Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series.
Despite granting the NOC, the WICB still made it clear that it did not accept Gayle’s reason for making himself unavailable, but the board said it did not wish to stand in the player’s way since he had already made his choice and travelled to India.
“The WICB accepted that players would want to play in the IPL but [has] equally impressed upon the players that they must show a commitment to West Indies cricket and plans for the development of West Indies cricket,” the board stated.
“The WICB is most disappointed in the manner in which Gayle has handled the entire situation, especially given the mature and cooperative manner in which two other players who refused contracts– Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard – made themselves available for selection and agreed to an understanding in the best interest of West Indies cricket.”
Gayle was not selected for today’s one-off Twenty20 International and the first two One-Day Internationals.
But the WICB explained that because of a rehabilitative programme following a medical examination for an injury Gayle received during the World Cup, it was clear that there was no way he could have been considered for selection as it was determined that he would rest for two to three weeks.
The WICB also revealed that following Gayle’s return to Jamaica after a consultation with a doctor in Britain, the board’s medical personnel had been communicating with him on the status and management of his injury.
It was further pointed out that the next phase of the rehabilitative programme was to include sport-specific training along with a running programme, and after he resumed training, the West Indies’ team management would arrange a test to assess his fitness and decide on his selection for the Pakistan series.
A few hours after the WICB issued its statement, Gayle blasted the WICB in a radio interview from India that was aired on KLAS in Jamaica.
He said that after getting injured during the World Cup, he paid all expenses for medical treatment in Britain before returning home to Jamaica, where he took it upon himself to commence a rehabilitation programme with his personal trainer.
“A group of players were selected for a training camp in Barbados, and I never got a call, nobody spoke to me, and I decided to leave it alone,” Gayle said.
“I continued my training programme, and I came to find out via the media that a Twenty20 squad was announced, and a One-Day International squad was announced, and I was stunned when I saw a big headline in the newspapers, Gayle, Sarwan, Chanderpaul Dropped.”
Gayle said he was puzzled because no WICB official had actually called to check up on him.
“The only communication I have had with anyone connected with the WICB was when I sent a text message to (team physio) C.J. Clark, and gave him an update about how I was doing,” he said.
“His only response was that he would send a fitness programme, which I did not receive until the IPL offer had presented itself.”
Gayle said that when he requested the NOC from the WICB, there was a hive of activity, and correspondence from various officials was coming left, right, and centre.
“All of a sudden, everybody got energy, and they were trying to contact me,” he said.
“As much as I wanted to play for West Indies, they left me with no choice. I have served West Indies for many years, but I was disrespected a lot, and I have been playing under a lot of pressure.” (HG/EZS)
