WICB reaches out to Gayle again

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The reconciliation meeting may have gone completely awry but the West Indies Cricket Board refuses to give up on Chris Gayle even after dropping him from the Test squad for the series against India starting on Monday.

After a stormy showdown with the WICB officials, Gayle’s cricketing future looks bleak but the explosive batsman can expect another letter from the Board very soon to chart a way forward and end the feud which started after he accused the administrators of ignoring him during injury problems.

The decision to write to Gayle was taken at a WICB meeting on Friday, just a few days after the two parties had an angry spat ironically during a reconciliation meeting to sort out the differences.

“As the board meeting is on Friday June 17, it was proposed that the WICB Management would write Gayle after the meeting to outline the way forward,” the WICB said.

Gayle, according to the Aid Memoire of that ill-fated June 14 meeting released by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), was concerned that there was no timeframe for his return to West Indies team.

He also sought a clarification why he was not considered for the one-day series against India after indicating his availability to the WICB.

The West Indies board later issued another release saying it “has rejected it (Aide Memoire) as an accurate account of the meeting.”

According to the minutes, Gayle was briefed about the reasons of his omission from the one-day series, which India won 3-2.

The WICB, stated that Gayle could not be selected until issues regarding his public criticism of the board and the team management were resolved.

“The comments made by him (Gayle) in the KLAS interview had created much ill-will with team management and unless there was a settling of differences, it would be difficult to see how the parties could harmoniously function,” the WICB said in its release.

The WICB was also pretty annoyed with Gayle for going toplay in the IPL while the national team took on Pakistan here.

“The WICB board of directors would need to provide policy guidelines on how to handle players who for reasons other than fitness, or personal distress make themselves unavailable for selection but expect to be selected whenever they deem it necessary to make themselves available,” it said.

At the meeting, the WICB was represented by chief executive Ernest Hilaire, coach Ottis Gibson, director of cricket Anthony Howard and team manager Richie Richardson, while WIPA chief Dinanath Ramnarine and vice-president Wavell Hinds accompanied Gayle.

The WICB said it has always struggled to maintain a working relationship with Gayle.

“The board has had issues historically in communicating with him and establishing a productive working relationship. Exceptional efforts had been made, especially during his tenure as captain, to establish that relationship,” the WICB said in a statement.

But WIPA rejected these claims stating that, “Gayle’s conduct was a response to how he felt the board treated him and had tarnished his name and reputation.”

Gayle also claimed that he was virtually threatened to sign the contract ahead of the World Cup in 2011 while being on tour in Australia.

“As a result of that request, the WICB CEO responded by informing Chris Gayle that if he did not sign the agreement by (the following) Monday at 4.30 pm the CEO would instruct the selectors to pick another player,” claimed WIPA.

“The CEO further stated that he does not have to send any agreements to WIPA and he will not be doing so. Mr Ramnarine pointed out in the collective agreement where the WICB was required to do so. Agreement for the WC 2011 was reached several days after, but at the time when Chris Gayle had inquired no agreement was reached.”