Chris Gayle and West Indies Cricket Board row rages on

West Indies Cricket Board chief, Ernest Hilaire, has said that the Board made every possible attempt to talk to opener Chris Gayle and convince him to play for the side in the series against Pakistan.

Hilaire made the remarks after Gayle recently said that the WICB did not talk to him before making their decision.

Currently Gayle is playing for the Indian Premier (IPL) League’s franchise Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB), owned by one of the most renowned Indian businessman in the world, Vijay Mallya.

Gayle has been playing well in the team and has proved a match-winner for the team. However, the West Indies cricket team has lost the first two matches of their five-match series against Pakistan. This is the reason Hilaire wants Gayle to perform in the Pakistan tour, to give success to the Windies.

Hilaire stated, “We can dispel all that Chris Gayle said by releasing the letters and emails”. He also said, “You communicate with a player, you ask for his opinions, you ask for him to account on certain statements he made, you ask him what’s his position on certain things and you expect to be treated with a certain degree of confidence.”

Gayle has been under scrutiny for a long time, as he has a history of tiffs and disputes with the West Indies Cricket Board. However, the behaviour of the board towards its players is also very inconsiderate.

Nevertheless, Gayle had to speak up, not only \on his own behalf but also for other players.

Chris Gayle is an outstanding batsmen on the West Indies cricket team. He started his One Day International (ODI) career in 1999 against India in Toronto. He has been playing exceptionally well in the team but was unable to lift his teams fortunes in the ICC World Cup 2011. Gayle has played a total of 228 One Dayers, in which he has scored 8087 runs at an average of 39.06. The Windies’ player has so far scored 19 centuries and 43 half centuries. Gayle has struck 946 fours and 169 sixes in his 228 ODIs. This batting all-rounder is also known for his balling style and is known off-spin. The Jamaican player has taken 156 wickets at an average of 35.08.

Read More

ICC laments senior Indian players decision to skip West Indies tour

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has lamented rumours that star Indian players, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virendar Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and, Zaheer Khan would miss their upcoming series against West Indies, as a means to give themselves a rest before their series against Australia and England.

According to reports, many senior players of the Indian cricket team have requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to grant them permission to skip the West Indies tournament starting on June 4, 2011. This tour includes three Tests and five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty20 game

The players added that they have been playing two months consecutively. First it was the ICC World Cup 2011, which concluded with the victory of Men in Blue. Currently it is the Indian Premier League (IPL).

There was only a six day gap between the World Cup and the IPL, which has exhausted the players. Hence they need a break from such a hectic schedule because they cannot afford to play another series after the end of IPL Twenty20 league on May 28, 2011.

Although Indian players have submitted their request to the BCCI, the ICC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Haroon Lorgat has said that it would be harmful for Indian cricketers to skip the Windies tour.

Lorgat stated, “I think it affects the brand of cricket. Everybody wants to see a full strength side. Same applies to the IPL and any of the FTP (Future Tour Program) commitments. Because of the volume of cricket, every individual player has to be managed”.

While talking to the media, Lorgat said that the permission can be granted to a couple of players who need rest. However, all the crucial cricketers appealing for a skip from the tour would not be appropriate, he added.

Lorgat said, “One or two stars, asking for a rest is okay. If five or six stars do not want to go to West Indies, then I think, it's not an appropriate fulfilment of what has been committed to the FTP".

The ICC boss Haroon Lorgat said that the ICC Future Tours Programme does not take into account the domestic events of any country and the Indian Premier League is no exception.

He said that it is possible that in future, other boards ask for similar favours if the ICC grants a designated space to the IPL. He said that although the BCCI had not requested such a window, the cricket's governing body was not going to accommodate it if it asked.

Read More

WIPA condemns dropping experienced trio for Pakistan serie

The dismissal of West Indies former skippers Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been condemned by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).
The three players were not selected for the first T20 International against Pakistan as well as the first two One Day Internationals (ODI) against the Men in Green.
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Chief Executive Officer, Ernest Hilaire said that they selectors had not told them why they had dropped the trio.
Ottis Gibson, coach of the West Indies side, criticised the performance of the trio at the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011. The new inductions include Anthony Martins, Krishmar Santokie, Danza Hyatt, Ashley Nurse and Christopher Barnwell.
West Indies Players Association says that they want to see young players in the side but this should not hamper the overall performance of the side. WIPA stated, “While WIPA wants to see that young players with potential are incorporated into the team and blooded, this should not be at the expense of the overall team performance or of the obligation owed to the players to deal with them fairly and justly.”
The statement by WIPA added, “While WIPA is clear that teams should be picked on performance, potential, playing conditions and preparedness, it is concerned that there may be an appearance that there were other unknown factors being taken into account.”
The association also criticised the replacement of the Windies captain, Chris Gayle, by Darren Sammy, as the WICB Chief had initially stated in 2009 that Gayle’s leadership from the team should be dissolved as it was not at all guaranteed.
However, this made Gayle infuriated and he refused to accept the year-long contract issued by WICB, and consequently Sammy was given the captaincy of the Windies cricket team.
West Indies will host Pakistan for a T20, 5 ODIs and 2 Test matches. The tour begins with the only T20 in the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia on Thursday, 21 April. The 5-match ODI series will begin on 23 April while the first Test match would be held from 12 May - 16 May at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Read More