Gayle to meet with WICB on Sunday
Attempt to iron-out issues to allow opener’s return to West Indies cricket.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Friday June 01, 2012 – Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have a date on Sunday to try to resolve outstanding issues to allow the controversial opener's return to the West Indies line-up.
While the way had been cleared for Gayle to be considered for selection following a CARICOM-brokered agreement between the two parties, it had also been agreed that there needed to be a meeting to “clear up residual matters” prior to his return to the team.
Last month, the WICB asked to meet with Gayle, who was playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the time.
In a WICB media release, the regional body had stated: "The board looks forward to Mr Gayle's indication of his date of availability to meet with the WICB along with Prime Ministers Honorable Baldwin Spencer (Antigua and Barbuda prime minister and chairman of CARICOM's Prime Ministerial Sub-committee on cricket) and St Vincent and the Grenadines' Ralph Gonsalves, as had been agreed to clear up residual matters prior to his return to the team."
Rumours followed that Gayle was given the all-clear to return to the West Indies team, at least for the limited-overs portion of the current tour of England, but officials maintained that the opener would have to meet with the WICB first.
Gayle opted out of his Twenty20 contract with English county Somerset to make himself available to play for the West Indies following a one-year standoff with the WICB stemming from controversial comments he had made about the board during a radio interview after the World Cup campaign.
The outcome of the Sunday June 3 meeting will determine whether Gayle will be given the green light to return to the West Indies team for the limited-overs series in England which starts on June 16.
The June 3 date will almost certainly rule out Gayle's return to the West Indies line-up for the third Test against England which gets underway on June 7. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)