BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – High-powered West Indies Cricket Board officials were expected to sit down in Jamaica last evening in a crucial meeting with former captain Chris Gayle to discuss controversial issues that could determine the player’s future.
The corps of officials will be led by WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire and will comprise chief cricket operations officer Tony Howard, head coach Ottis Gibson along with team manager Richie Richardson.
Gibson and Richardson arrived in Kingston yesterday with the West Indies team, following their 103-run triumph over India in the fourth One-Day International in Antigua on Monday.
The meeting, scheduled for the Pegasus, is expected to centre on a widely publicised controversial interview given by Gayle to a Jamaican radio station, where he slammed the WICB, and was also critical of Hilaire, Gibson and captain Darren Sammy.
Gayle accused the Board of taking an indifferent attitude to his recovery from injury following the World Cup and took them to task over his non-selection for the Pakistan series.
He claimed he had been forced to pay all of his medical bills after seeking treatment for his injury in England, and charged that the WICB had showed no interest in his fitness status.
Gayle, who opted out of the Pakistan series to play in the Indian Premier League, was subsequently overlooked for the one-day series against India with the WICB indicating that he would need to explain his highly charged comments before he could be considered for selection.
“The WICB are very concerned about the unprofessional way the comments were made. Gayle cannot expect to make such inflammatory accusations and speak what was clearly shown to be untruths and expect to walk back into the team,” a WICB official, who requested anonymity, told CMC Sports recently.
“The selectors felt there should be a meeting with Gayle first to discuss these comments and chart the way forward.”
The WICB wrote to Gayle requesting a meeting to which the player agreed.