The long-standing feud between Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board could finally end as the WICB wants to meet him again after Players’ Association vice-president Wavell Hinds said the batsman is willing to apologise if needed.
Gayle was left out of the West Indies squad for the ongoing Test series against India, after a June 14 meeting to sort out their differences ended on a stormy note.
The feud originally started when Gayle criticised the WICB for leaving him in a lurch during his injury problems.
But after months of bickering, the WICB has written to Gayle again stating that “the June 14 meeting failed as the discussions were repeatedly diverted to peripheral issues instead of being focussed on finding a constructive solution to the matter before us“.
“However, the Board does recognise your contributions to West Indies cricket and the value which you bring to a West Indies team; and remains available to meet with you, should you be willing to do so, so that we can bring some resolution to this matter. We await your response to discuss a mutually acceptable way forward,” ‘ESPN Cricinfo’ quoted WICB chief Ernest Hilaire as saying in the letter.
The latest letter comes after Hinds said Gayle was willing to explain himself and even apologise.
“He (Gayle) is prepared to answer the charges as honestly as he can and if there is a need to say sorry, I think he will say sorry,” Hinds said.
“Where he feels firm and has strong substance to back up his claims he will stand by them. If there are claims he has made where he has been a little excessive he is prepared to put his hand up and say sorry,” he added.
But the WICB continues to be miffed with WIPA chief Dinanath Ramnarine, who it allegedly threatened Hilaire with a chair, during the June 14 meeting.
“WIPA should either facilitate an apology to the CEO from Ramnarine, together with an assurance/undertaking that he will not engage in any physical or verbal threats during meetings with representatives of the West Indies Cricket Board or identify alternative WIPA representatives to engage in meetings with the WICB,” the board said in a statement.
