West Indian batsman, Chris Gayle, has announced that he will be meeting representatives from the West Indian Cricket Board (WICB) and CARICOM in St Vincent today, to discuss his future with the team.
Gayle, who played for the West Indies in the 2011 World Cup, is expected to submit an apology, or retract the comments he made about the WICB and coach Ottis Gibson during a radio interview, according to The Jamaican Gleaner.
Jamaican Cricket Association (JCA) secretary, Fritz Harris, was quoted by The Jamaican Gleaner, saying: “A meeting has been arranged for tomorrow morning (today) between Gayle, the WICB and a few heads of government in a bid to arrive at an amicable solution that could result in Gayle returning to the team.”
Gayle, has been playing in various Twenty20 International tournaments around the world, including the IPL, Australia’s Big Bash League and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), since he stopped representing the West Indies.
In February this year, WICB Chief Executive, Ernest Hilaire, stated that Gayle had to sort out his priorities, making sure he concentrated on playing for the West Indies, and not asking for unconditional no-objection certificates (NOCs), which allows him to play in domestic Twenty20 International competitions around the world, while also making him available to be selected for the West Indies squad.
Harris, was also quoted saying: “As we are all aware, there have been efforts to have the matter resolved in recent weeks, including all the workings coming out of CARICOM etc, and I suspect that this meeting is a sort of culmination of the efforts.”
In October 2011, the WICB said that Gayle would be allowed back in the squad, if he retracted his criticizing statements towards the board. However, Gayle, responded by saying that the board was playing mind games with him, and that the board had not made clear what it was they wanted an apology about.
The grudge between Gayle and the WICB intensified, in which the Jamaican Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, voiced her opinion in favour of Gayle.
With Gayle back at the negotiating table, there is hope for West Indian fans, who are longing to have the powerful left-hander back on the squad as soon as possible.