Bridgetown : West Indies opener Chris Gayle lamented his continued exclusion from the regional side, and has called on the regional body Caricom (Caribbean Community and Common Market) to intervene in the impasse.
In an emotional statement Friday, the Jamaican left-hander said that the standoff had been “painful and more injurious to my spirit” and while he remained committed to West Indies cricket, he felt strung along by the West Indies Cricket Board (WIC) with no resolution to the situation in sight.
“My contribution has been devalued and the fans of the West Indies who believe I can make a difference have had their hopes dashed,” Gayle added.
Gayle has been overlooked for selection since his return from the Indian Premier League (IPL), with the WICB stipulating that he had to meet with them before being considered.
The meeting took place last month in Jamaica but according to the WICB, ended in uncertainty.
Gayle said since the failed meeting, he had made attempts to also to further resolve the standoff by writing to WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire and then meeting again with head coach Ottis Gibson and team manager Richie Richardson, but to no avail.
“I took the Board seriously and went to the meeting which was held in Jamaica a few weeks ago,” Gayle said.
“The meeting ended without any commitment with regard to my future selection for the West Indies team again.”
The meeting held June 14 in Kingston was reported to be a contentious one with Ramnarine locking horns with Hilaire during the discussions.
Hilaire then presented a report to the board of directors at another meeting three days later, with the WICB announcing afterward that their management would “continue efforts to resolve the issues with Gayle”.
Gayle, however, accused the WICB of not being serious about using the initial meeting to resolve outstanding issues.
“After the conclusion of this second meeting (with Gibson and Richardson), my suspicions were confirmed and it was now beyond doubt that there was never any real intention of resolving any issues concerning me at the first meeting … I have now reached the stage where I have to say that enough is enough.”
Gayle said while he was not about to quit West Indies cricket, he could not sit around waiting for West Indies cricket officials to sort out his future, and would continue to pursue his cricket interests elsewhere. (Agencies)