D Gayle issue!!

[rotatopoti3]

What d ass wrong with Hillaire and crew...dey eh want tuh give Gayle any surety of a contract for d England tour but he must do away with he Somerset contract....Screw dem make yuh money yes...Look Sarwan captaining Leicestershire and he aint seem ah bit bothered with these idiots...Malice iz ah ting yes!! these egomaniacs doe deserve another day in power


Gayle's West Indies return hits fresh roadblock
Nagraj Gollapudi
April 30, 2012

Chris Gayle's return to the West Indies squad is likely to be delayed after fresh doubts emerged over his availability for the ODI leg of the upcoming England tour, pouring cold water over the hard-earned resolution reached between him and the West Indies Cricket Board by CARICOM (the Caribbean Community).

Earlier this month Gayle had sent a request to Ernest Hilaire, the WICB chief executive, asking the board if he would be selected for the ODI leg of the England tour in June; this was to help him clarify his availability for Somerset, with whom he had signed as an overseas player for the summer. Hilaire, in his response, has accused Gayle of "reneging" on the undertaking the player had given in the presence of St Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, stating he would make himself available to play for West Indies over Somerset.

"I write to you with respect to the upcoming West Indies tour of England scheduled for May 2 - June 25, 2012. As previously indicated, I am willing to make myself available to play for West Indies for this tour after my obligations to my IPL team are fulfilled," Gayle said in his e-mail, available to ESPNcricinfo, dated April 20.

Gayle, who last played for West Indies in the 2011 World Cup, told Hilaire that having signed a contract with Somerset, the county required him to "give an undertaking" of his availability for the entire duration of the contract, which clashed with West Indies' tour of England. Somerset have five Friends Life t20 games scheduled during the time West Indies play three ODIs and a T20I against England.

"I would appreciate if I could be informed whether I will be contracted for the West Indies Team for England Tour before I give my commitment to Somerset," Gayle said. "I only ask this so I would be in an informed position before I respond to Somerset, given the fact that I indicated my availability to the West Indies Team after the IPL," Gayle said, requesting an immediate reply.

In his response, sent on April 26, Hilaire said that "the Board has now considered your request and is extremely disappointed that, following the progress we had seemed to be making towards final agreement, you now seem unwilling to honour the commitment you made with respect to your Somerset contract."

According to Hilaire, Gayle had sent a "side letter" to Gonsalves on March 23, stating that he would "forego" his Somerset contract in order to make himself available to play for West Indies. "You reiterated this commitment in your April 1 letter, in response to WICB's request for clarification," Hilaire said. "Your most recent communication appears to suggest that you may be reneging on your availability as you now state that you are willing to make yourself available and not that you are making yourself available. A player cannot be considered for selection if he has not made himself available for selection."

According to Hilaire, during the meeting between Gonsalves, Gayle and the WICB, it was made clear to Gayle that selection matters did not come under the "purview" of the board. "The Board cannot give any commitment to any player with respect to his selection for a particular match or tour; but we will ask the Chairman of Selectors to have a discussion with you on issues relating to your selection at the earliest, in anticipation that you will meet all eligibility requirements," Hilaire told Gayle.

The ball is now once again in Gayle's court with Hilaire asking the player to come up with an instant reply.

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

[fishs]

 St Hilaire does come across like a real bitter man.
Gayle must be intefere wid he love life.
 You asking ah man to say he committed to play and yet yuh doh want to say if he getting pick !!!
No BS about the selectors it easy enough to ask them to pick the team now since it have nothing else going on for them to judge by.

Ah rell fed up with this ahole who feel WI cricket is his to do whatever he wants with.

[rotatopoti3]

Ah rell fed up with this ahole who feel WI cricket is his to do whatever he wants with.

Daiz it self....no blasted shame and no one to answer to.  I could understand as administrators if Gayle was ah new fella and failing to command d opening position but the fact iz he playing consistently in international matches 2 or 3 times ah week...Plus he has a proven test record...wha else dem clowns want blood..??

I really feel d ICC (aka FIFA type organization-need to grow some balls) and step in here and put some pressure in dey ass in d form of sanctioning and make them provide reasons for the continued runaround...As I said..these fellas doe have no boss to answer too.....

[Conquering Lion]

My guess is that WICB don't want to mess with the unity and gains that the team has shown thus far.............and also to show Gayle that the team can do ok without him. Having said that it should have been an easy thing to let Gayle know if he was in or not, but it could be spite... where he commits to WICB then gets dropped.

My personal opinion is that Gayle should be in the team if he is willing to put aside whatever has gone on in the past. I also believe that stuff like this should really be handled quietly by your agent rather than face to face with WICB or via a twitter rant.

I also think that Gayle may be angling for a place in the next WC in 2015 (?).

[vb]

The man is an ex WI Capt. He has a chance to make a living and he says he will forego the County contract if he is assured that he is picked.

How de fokk he supposed to overs an overseas contract and money for his family if the Board cah fokking communicate themselves TWO weeks or less before the tour starts.

I could see why Dinnas used to jamm dey ass.

VB

[Conquering Lion]

The man is an ex WI Capt. He has a chance to make a living and he says he will forego the County contract if he is assured that he is picked.

How de fokk he supposed to overs an overseas contract and money for his family if the Board cah fokking communicate themselves TWO weeks or less before the tour starts.

I could see why Dinnas used to jamm dey ass.

VB

That is the dilemma the board will continue to face and continue not to handle properly. In the past, the board could have exerted some sort of power/control over the players by using non-selection as a threat (i.e. sign this paper or no pick, or make noise and no pick for you). With IPL and T20 that power is now gone once the players expose and establish themselves.... but it seems the WICB fail to understand that.

In the world of sports nowadays, money talks and the WICB is not really in a position to make demands.

[kaliman2006]

The man is an ex WI Capt. He has a chance to make a living and he says he will forego the County contract if he is assured that he is picked.

How de fokk he supposed to overs an overseas contract and money for his family if the Board cah fokking communicate themselves TWO weeks or less before the tour starts.

I could see why Dinnas used to jamm dey ass.

VB

Exactly. I wonder what world some of the members of the board living in at times. This is very odd reasoning on their part.

[rotatopoti3]

HAS CHRIS GAYLE GONE MAD??? PULLING OUT A SIGNED CONTRACT

Gayle pulls out of Somerset deal
ESPNcricinfo staff
May 3, 2012

Chris Gayle could be back in the West Indies side after declaring himself available in all formats

Chris Gayle has pulled out of his Twenty20 contract with Somerset, declaring himself committed to playing for West Indies in all forms of the game. The move could smooth the way for Gayle to return to the West Indies side for the upcoming tour of England, which would end a year-long standoff between Gayle and the WICB that stemmed from comments he made about the board in a radio interview last April.

Gayle was not chosen in the Test squad for the England tour but after progress was made in reaching a resolution between the two parties, he was considered a chance to be selected for the three ODIs that follow the Tests. However, those matches clash with the Friends Life t20, a tournament for which Gayle had agreed to play with Somerset, and the WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire said Gayle could not be considered unless he categorically made himself available.

"I wish to advise that as of today, May 2nd, 2012, I have written to Somerset CC and advised them that I will not be honouring the commitment I made to them when I signed a contract with them for the 2012 [Friends Life t20]. I made it clear to them that my decision was made because of my commitment to West Indies cricket and to West Indies cricket fans, and because ... I believe that it is time for the WICB to make a decision which will provide a clearer view of my own future.

"I understand that by making this decision, it may place me in a position of considerable risk, since I am foregoing a signed contract, without any guarantees whatsoever, with only the hope that I will be selected to play for the West Indies again. I have now satisfied all of the requests of the WICB and their selection panel, with whom I met via teleconference yesterday, and to whom I reiterated previous assurances given to the board regarding my availability.

"So that there is no doubt, I confirmed to the selectors that I was available for West Indies duty in all forms of cricket, immediately following the conclusion of my contractual obligations to my IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore. This has been a difficult time, and I wish to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me, my family and friends, and in particular cricket fans worldwide who have continued to show appreciation for me wherever I have played. I look forward to once again putting on the maroon, and resuming my international career and my service to West Indies cricket."

Gayle has not played for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup, but he has been in outstanding form in the IPL. He is third on the tournament's run tally and has scored 81, 87, 4, 86 and 71 from his past five innings.

[vb]

HAS CHRIS GAYLE GONE MAD??? PULLING OUT A SIGNED CONTRACT

Gayle pulls out of Somerset deal
ESPNcricinfo staff
May 3, 2012

Chris Gayle could be back in the West Indies side after declaring himself available in all formats

Chris Gayle has pulled out of his Twenty20 contract with Somerset, declaring himself committed to playing for West Indies in all forms of the game. The move could smooth the way for Gayle to return to the West Indies side for the upcoming tour of England, which would end a year-long standoff between Gayle and the WICB that stemmed from comments he made about the board in a radio interview last April.

Gayle was not chosen in the Test squad for the England tour but after progress was made in reaching a resolution between the two parties, he was considered a chance to be selected for the three ODIs that follow the Tests. However, those matches clash with the Friends Life t20, a tournament for which Gayle had agreed to play with Somerset, and the WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire said Gayle could not be considered unless he categorically made himself available.

"I wish to advise that as of today, May 2nd, 2012, I have written to Somerset CC and advised them that I will not be honouring the commitment I made to them when I signed a contract with them for the 2012 [Friends Life t20]. I made it clear to them that my decision was made because of my commitment to West Indies cricket and to West Indies cricket fans, and because ... I believe that it is time for the WICB to make a decision which will provide a clearer view of my own future.

"I understand that by making this decision, it may place me in a position of considerable risk, since I am foregoing a signed contract, without any guarantees whatsoever, with only the hope that I will be selected to play for the West Indies again. I have now satisfied all of the requests of the WICB and their selection panel, with whom I met via teleconference yesterday, and to whom I reiterated previous assurances given to the board regarding my availability.

"So that there is no doubt, I confirmed to the selectors that I was available for West Indies duty in all forms of cricket, immediately following the conclusion of my contractual obligations to my IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore. This has been a difficult time, and I wish to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me, my family and friends, and in particular cricket fans worldwide who have continued to show appreciation for me wherever I have played. I look forward to once again putting on the maroon, and resuming my international career and my service to West Indies cricket."

Gayle has not played for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup, but he has been in outstanding form in the IPL. He is third on the tournament's run tally and has scored 81, 87, 4, 86 and 71 from his past five innings.

I can only shake my head. This is what they put players through. Now what are other players supposed to think. Perhaps the most sought after batsman for the short version of the game. And he has to tell everybody No, before they even CONSIDER picking him.

You want to believe that a Board CAN'T be that backward.

Sometimes I wonder if we better off just getting a white man from England to run the damn Board.

Why is WIPA so quiet on the issue??

VB

[rotatopoti3]

Chris Gayle U-turn forces Somerset to consider legal action

Somerset have confirmed they are considering taking action against Chris Gayle after he backed out of a deal to join them for their Twenty20 campaign.
Opening batsman Gayle, 32, agreed to be Somerset's overseas player in January and was expected to arrive in June.
But the Jamaican has decided to return to the international fold after resolving his differences with the West Indies Cricket Board.
Somerset have brought in South Africa's Faf du Plessis as his replacement.
Du Plessis, who previously played for Lancashire, has taken 49 wickets in Twenty20 cricket at an average of 15.89.

Commenting on Gayle's decision, chief executive Guy Lavender told the county's website  : "A contract is a contract and we are exploring our options and will decide what is best for Somerset in due course.
"We are very disappointed that Chris Gayle will not be joining us for this season's FLt20, particularly as we have a signed contract and a no objection certificate from the West Indies Cricket Board."
Director of cricket Brian Rose told BBC Somerset: "It's a disappointment but not unexpected.
"Everything's a risk. You never know if international boards are going to pick players for various series, or even drop them.
"It's no shock to me and it's nothing to do with the player - he's been exceptional with his co-operation. We're happy for him to move on."
Gayle has not played international cricket for over a year after falling out with the WICB for disparaging comments he made in a radio interview.
But, following talks between the two parties, he could now be selected for the one-day section of their tour of England following his current stint in the Indian Premier League.
Use accessible player and disable flyout menus

"I have written to Somerset and advised them I will not be honouring the commitment I made to them when I signed a contract with them," Gayle said in a statement.
"By making this decision, I understand it may place me in a position of considerable risk, since I am foregoing a signed contract, without any guarantees whatsoever, with only the hope I will be selected to play for the West Indies again.
"I have now satisfied all of the requests of the WICB and their selection panel, with whom I met via teleconference yesterday, and to whom I reiterated previous assurances given to the board regarding my availability.
"So that there is no doubt, I confirmed to the selectors that I was available for West Indies duty in all forms of cricket, immediately following the conclusion of my contractual obligations to my IPL franchise."
Gayle is arguably the most destructive limited-overs batsman in world cricket and has also played in Twenty20 competitions in Australia, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
However, he has also scored more than 6,300 in 91 Test appearances, including 13 centuries, one of them an innings of 333 against Sri Lanka in 2010.

[rotatopoti3]

Somerset decide against Gayle legal action
George Dobell
May 4, 2012

Somerset will not be taking legal action against Chris Gayle for breach of contract. Gayle had signed to play for Somerset in this season's FLt20 competition but, after resolving his differences with the West Indies team management, has made himself available for the limited-overs section of their tour of England.

"We have taken legal advice and we have decided that it is not in the best interests of Somerset or cricket to take legal action," Somerset's chief executive, Guy Lavender, told ESPNcricinfo.

"We wish Chris well and hope to see him back playing for the West Indies this summer."

While Somerset felt they did have strong grounds for action, they also felt the cost of proceedings - both financially and to the reputation of cricket - would outweigh any benefits. They have also acknowledged Gayle's honesty and communication throughout.

Somerset have already agreed a deal to bring in South Africa allrounder Faf du Plessis as a replacement for Gayle.

George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

 Feeds: George Dobell
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

[kaliman2006]

Thanks for the updated reports rotatopoti. Chris must be wondering if all this stress is worth it.

[NYtriniwhiteboy..]

And it continues

WICB wants to mop up 'residual matters' with Gayle
ESPNcricinfo staff
May 11, 2012
Comments: 31 | Login via  | Text size: A | A

The WICB want Chris Gayle to decide on a date when they can meet © Associated Press
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News : Gayle pulls out of Somerset deal
News : Gayle's West Indies return hits fresh roadblock
News : Gayle, WICB reach agreement on return
Players/Officials: Chris Gayle
Teams: West Indies
The West Indies Cricket Board has asked Chris Gayle to specify a date on which he can meet with it and regional officials, to mop up 'residual matters' related to their seemingly concluded spat. In a statement on Thursday, the WICB said it was pleased that Gayle had confirmed his availability for West Indies selection, but prior to matters moving further along, another meeting between the two parties was necessary.

"Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board recently met by teleconference and are pleased that consistent with his previous commitment Mr Chris Gayle has made himself available for selection to the West Indies team," the WICB statement said. "The board believes that Mr Gayle's stated commitment to West Indies cricket will be an asset to the team and looks forward to his contributions in that regard.

"The board looks forward to Mr Gayle's indication of his date of availability to meet with the WICB along with Prime Ministers Honourable Baldwin Spencer [who is the Antigua and Barbuda prime minister, and chairman of CARICOM's Prime Ministerial Sub-committee on cricket] and Honourable Ralph Gonsalves [St Vincent and the Grenadines' prime minister] as had been agreed to clear up residual matters prior to his return to the team."

Earlier this month, Gayle had pulled out of his Twenty20 contract with English county Somerset, declaring he was committed to playing for West Indies in all forms of the game. The move was believed to smooth the way for Gayle to return to the West Indies side for the limited-overs leg of the upcoming tour of England, ending a year-long standoff between Gayle and the WICB that stemmed from comments he made about the board in a radio interview last April.

Gayle's declaration had followed his request to Ernest Hilaire, the WICB chief executive, asking the board whether he would be selected for the ODI leg of the England tour in June; this, he said, was to help him clarify his availability for Somerset. Hilaire, in his response, had accused Gayle of "reneging" on the undertaking the player had given that he would make himself available to play for West Indies over Somerset during CARICOM's (the Caribbean Community) attempts to patch things up between Gayle and the board in early April.

The CARICOM-brokered deal's success was expected to be tested by an ongoing lawsuit - to which Gayle is a party - between the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) and the board, which is likely to be one of the 'residual matters' to come up for discussion

[dwolfman]

I hear you guys with the Board's role in this thing but two things stand out to me that I think worth mentioning.

1) Gayle made his bed when he refused to acknowledge that his emotional outburst was not in keeping with how professionals interact with their employers. He is not bigger than the game and if we in the Windies continue to allow good players to do whatever they want whenever they want there will always be another public problem waiting to happen. How does a man walk into a locker room to work with a group of people after publicly raking the coach, manager (and to an extent the players themselves) and administration over the coals?

2) If the Board had signed the NOC and Gayle had committed to another team doesn't that mean that he's not available to play for the Windies until he says otherwise? I remember when Pedro Collins was selected to play against Sri Lanka a few years back and he told them he was unavailable because he was already contracted to play in England. The saying "madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

Is the WICB running Windies cricket properly? No, but at the end of the day Gayle is not some innocent victim being bullied into something he doesn't want to do. The game has gone on without him and all the disappointments aside the team is much better to watch these days. If he wants to play for the Windies he's good enough to make the team and the Board can do nothing to prevent that. However, to be a part of an organisation (which West Indies cricket is, ultimately) he also needs to tow the line. That doesn't mean accept whatever the Board has to dish out, but it does mean that he isn't too big to do (say) whatever he wants and still be included.

[kaliman2006]

I hear you guys with the Board's role in this thing but two things stand out to me that I think worth mentioning.

1) Gayle made his bed when he refused to acknowledge that his emotional outburst was not in keeping with how professionals interact with their employers. He is not bigger than the game and if we in the Windies continue to allow good players to do whatever they want whenever they want there will always be another public problem waiting to happen. How does a man walk into a locker room to work with a group of people after publicly raking the coach, manager (and to an extent the players themselves) and administration over the coals?

2) If the Board had signed the NOC and Gayle had committed to another team doesn't that mean that he's not available to play for the Windies until he says otherwise? I remember when Pedro Collins was selected to play against Sri Lanka a few years back and he told them he was unavailable because he was already contracted to play in England. The saying "madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

Is the WICB running Windies cricket properly? No, but at the end of the day Gayle is not some innocent victim being bullied into something he doesn't want to do. The game has gone on without him and all the disappointments aside the team is much better to watch these days. If he wants to play for the Windies he's good enough to make the team and the Board can do nothing to prevent that. However, to be a part of an organisation (which West Indies cricket is, ultimately) he also needs to tow the line. That doesn't mean accept whatever the Board has to dish out, but it does mean that he isn't too big to do (say) whatever he wants and still be included.

Very good post and I agree with your assessment. While the Board has not handled its disagreement with Gayle well, Gayle did himself no favours by criticizing the Board publicly. He should have been more mature and try to resolve his differences with the Board in private.

As you say, no player should be bigger than the team.