Frustrated Gayle may turn away from West Indies cricket

Kingston , June 17 (IANS) Former skipper Chris Gayle is contemplating turning away from the West Indies as he is frustrated with the cricket board.

The Trinidad Guardian reported that after Tuesday’s failed meeting with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) here, Gayle is seriously considering his future in the West Indies cricket.

A frustrated Gayle may turn a freelance cricketer and participate in all the lucrative Twenty20 tournaments being played all around the world.

‘Chris wants to play cricket for the West Indies. He wants to play really badly and this is why he turned up for the meeting. However, what was said and how it was said at the meeting has left him rather frustrated, and he may now look at taking his game away from the West Indies,’ the daily quoted a source close to Gayle as saying.

‘This is a man who has served the West Indies cricket well in the past and he was also captain of the regional team. However, he was treated very badly by one individual at the meeting and this has left him in a state,’ the source said.

This meeting was called following the West Indies opener’s controversial radio interview, in which he slammed the WICB, board’s chief executive Ernest Hilaire, coach Ottis Gibson and captain Darren Sammy.

During the meeting, Gayle was accompanied West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) executive president Dinanath Ramnarine and vice-president Wavell Hinds to a near four-hour long meeting that took place at the Pegasus Hotel. Hilaire, Gibson, West Indies team operations manager Richie Richardson, and WICB chief cricket operations officer Tony Howard were also present at the meeting.

The source added: ‘Chris was penalised (by being dropped from the West Indies team) before he was given a hearing. This was totally unfair and was aired at the meeting. Also one official who represented the WICB was very provocative towards Chris and was not even allowing him to answer questions posed to him. This was very unfortunate.’



The findings will be submitted to the WICB directors, who will decide on Gayle’s future.

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