The enigma that is Chris Gayle

[ddb]

"If anybody asked Bravo what he wanted to do, he would have straight away said that he wanted to play the Test series. But the West Indies officials, who are in charge, did not want him around, so they sent him to the IPL.WICB were being dishonest in that press release in which they announced the squad."

So not picking the IPL over test cricket?

[GGAS]

Gayle is needed in test matches! please WICB persuade him to come back. Brathwaite is too young, I can read arabic better than Smith can read spin, Barath is injury prone prone and Simmons doesn't have the technique to open in tests. Please bring Gayle back for tests!

[mikesiva]

"If anybody asked Bravo what he wanted to do, he would have straight away said that he wanted to play the Test series. But the West Indies officials, who are in charge, did not want him around, so they sent him to the IPL.WICB were being dishonest in that press release in which they announced the squad."

So not picking the IPL over test cricket?

Maybe that was a way of telling Dwayne Bravo that he was dropped....

His recent form means that he's not good enough to play Test cricket right now.

'West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) CEO Dr Ernest Hilaire has not ruled out the return of Chris Gayle and Jerome Taylor to the regional squad for the upcoming Digicel Series versus India. Hilaire suggested on Wednesday evening that the Jamaican duo have not been excluded, but left the matter up to the regional selectors. He did hint, however, that cricketers' attitudes will play a big role in the selection of the squad. "I think at the end of the day the selectors will sit and select the players they feel will best represent the West Indies and within the selection policy," Hilaire told the Express following a forum to discuss the WICB's new draft 2011-2016 strategic plan at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva. But having been embroiled in controversial exchanges between senior players—particularly Gayle, veteran Guyanese left-handed bat Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Taylor—in recent times, Hilaire was careful in choosing his words and added: "The selectors will pick the team they think can best represent the West Indies."'

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/H ... 04508.html

[mikesiva]

'Ramnaresh Sarwan has admitted that West Indies are missing Chris Gayle but said the players knew they couldn't do anything about the situation. Gayle was not chosen in the squad for the opening one-day internationals against India due to an ongoing disagreement with the WICB, and in his absence West Indies struggled to 214 for 9 in the first ODI. "You are putting me in the spot," Sarwan said with a smile after the loss in Trinidad. "Yes, we are missing him to be honest. It's very difficult to replace someone like Chris at the top. He is the most feared batsmen in world cricket when it comes to ODI or T20. The selectors have made a decision and we need to work with what we have."'

http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies ... 18039.html

[amitb]

Interesting article on recent meeting between Gayle and WICB

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spor ... 869307.cms

[Aidan11]

Update from Cricinfo -

http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies ... 19191.html

[mikesiva]

Wow, it's all coming out, isn't it?

"They just want him to beg and apologise," the WIPA source said. "We were willing to bury the past and move on but they weren't willing. We asked two things. One: why didn't they pick up Gayle? Two: what's the next step from here and what's the time-frame? The board didn't give any time-frame. The thing is just hanging now." According to the WICB Gayle wanted to brush his allegations made during the radio interview under the carpet and that WIPA was now demanding that he be selected. "They didn't want to retract the statements made which is not acceptable to us," the board source said. "Their claim is that Gayle was upset when he said that and it was just a statement made in that context. The board doesn't agree. You can't make unsubstantiated statements against the board, the coach, and the other issues and just say that you were upset. Gayle has to retract his statements." If Gayle retracts his statements, the board would likely view the incident as a minor indiscretion, penalise him accordingly, and select him. The WIPA claims the board doesn't want to see a resolution over the issue and wants to bury both Gayle's career and the players association along with it. "We went in thinking that the issue will be resolved but to our horror they weren't just in the mood," a WIPA source said. "They made lots of false allegations. The real issue is the selection of Gayle. Clearly, they don't want to. It's a big ego issue for them and they are dragging West Indies cricket down with them." The issue dates back to October 2010, when Gayle refused to sign a contract with the board. The WICB claims that Gayle wanted the board to buy him out of his IPL contract. "It was before the IPL auction time," the board source said. "Gayle said he went for US $800,000 in the last year and wanted the same amount."

There's no doubt that Gayle can behave in an immature way, for a man who's 31 years old. But sadly the immaturity and arrogance of the WICB executives are no better. This is clearly an ego issue, and West Indies cricket will suffer in the long run because of it....

[mikesiva]

This sounds like Gayle is offering a middle-ground, but will the WICB take it, or will they insist on Gayle grovelling before them?

http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/ ... 20372.html

'Chris Gayle is prepared to apologise if he can't substantiate some of the charges he made in his controversial radio interview in April, according to Wavell Hinds, the vice-president of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). "He is prepared to answer the charges as honestly as he can and if there is a need to say sorry, he will say sorry," Hinds told ESPNcricinfo. "Where he [Gayle] feels firm and has strong substance to back up his claims he will stand by them. If there are claims he has made where he has been a little excessive he is prepared to put his hand up and say sorry. In no shape or form does Chris think he is above West Indies cricket and he has stated that quite clearly to me. "I have known Chris for many years, I know him like a brother and as a friend. He is a very humble guy and he is prepared to do what is necessary to play."'

[GGAS]

Gayle in the stands again today...would rather see Nash there to be honest

[mikesiva]

Gayle in the stands again today...would rather see Nash there to be honest

The offer of an olive branch may just work....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/ ... 20430.html

"The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has written to Chris Gayle, stating it remains available to meet and resolve the latest impasse over his exclusion from the national team. Gayle wasn't picked for the series against India owing to differences with the board, including over a widely-publicised radio interview with KLAS Sports where he strongly criticised the WICB. The rift appeared to intensify after a heated meeting - which also involved West Indies Players' Association president Dinanath Ramnarine - on June 14 with the board, but both parties have since expressed a willingness to reconcile."

[vindalf]

Mike, that's good to hear but would Gayle or other players negotiate with the WICB without Ramnarine participating in some fashion? Sure looks like Ramnarine's time in the sun has come and gone.

[backfootpunch]

i have a feeling that chris gayle will be playing in the second test and if not the second definetly the third. it seems the wicb have realised they need him more than he needs them after another poor showing from the top order that cost the windies a test match

[englandmad666]

i have a feeling that chris gayle will be playing in the second test and if not the second definetly the third. it seems the wicb have realised they need him more than he needs them after another poor showing from the top order that cost the windies a test match

Well hes certainly not going to play in the second test as he is not in the squad, i think the west indies really need to pull there finger out and get this sorted, it can be argued or not that they may have won that first test with gayle in the team.

[mikesiva]

It looks like the WICB have no intention of finding a resolution to this issue, according to this detailed statement by Chris Gayle....

http://caribbeancricket.com/news/2011/07/01/3196

I think it's unrealistic to expect Gayle to sit and stew for months, waiting on the WICB to finally come calling. I expect Gayle to play in the Sri Lanka and Australia domestic 20/20 competitions, if the the Windies don't want him.

I think the WICB need to come to the realisation that WI cricket needs him more than vice versa. Gayle can easily play 20/20 cricket around the world, and not miss the paycheck that playing for the West Indies offers....

[mikesiva]

Now, the Caribbean governments are getting involved....

"It comes back to who owns West Indian cricket," Jagdeo said. "The board thinks it owns West Indian cricket, my belief is that it belongs to all of us, the people of this region. [In] many countries, when you have failures consistently, the board goes because sometimes it is the problem. Here it does not seem as if this is going to happen. Gayle is being treated unfairly by the WICB. You can't not tell him anything; he needs to earn too, and then you have a tour coming and when he goes off, he gets another contract then you're concerned that he has left the region." Jagdeo also claimed the board was following its own agenda against some of the players, and was highly critical of coach Gibson's interference with senior cricketers. "This can't be right. Something is wrong," Jagdeo said. "It is all about pettiness and the culture of going with people who are compliant and I think we need to change a lot of these people. We need to have term limits there too. We need to have serious term limits on these boards."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/ ... 21985.html