WICB knocks J’ca Prime Minister

St John’s—The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday said it regretted comments made by Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller at the Jamaica Cricket Association awards dinner on Saturday. Prime Minister Simpson-Miller called for an end to the stand-off between Chris Gayle and the West Indies Board and for the left-hander’s reinstatement to the regional team. In a release, the WICB said it believes the Prime Minister did not have the benefit of the full information pertaining to the matters on which she spoke. It stated: “The WICB is further disappointed that the relevant officials in Jamaica did not, or did not properly, brief the newly-elected Prime Minister.  Had the Honourable Prime Minister been briefed she would have been informed that Mr Chris Gayle has been written to by the WICB, clearly outlining the full details of what is required of him. The WICB is awaiting a response from Mr Gayle.”

The Board called on the Prime Minister to use her office to urge  Gayle to respond favourably in an effort to put this issue in the past. “The WICB does not believe that the Prime Minister is suggesting that Mr Gayle be returned to the West Indies team without withdrawing his comments. This would be tantamount to a member of the Jamaican cabinet lambasting and deriding the leader of the cabinet and fellow cabinet colleagues and being returned to that august body without any accountability for his or her actions.”

The Prime Minister also rapped the Board for failing to stage one of the Test matches against Australia in Jamaica. The Board said the Prime Minister was not informed properly. “...She should have been informed that the West Indies v Australia tour was, for reasons pertaining to scheduling and weather, always slated to be played in the Southern Caribbean.” The Board said the New Zealand tour was slated to be played in the months of  July and August in the northern Caribbean at a time, during the hurricane season, when that part of the region is less prone to adverse weather conditions. Therefore, Jamaica was never a consideration for the Australia tour but would feature as a host venue for the New Zealand tour.

The WICB believes the Prime Minister would appreciate the seriousness and repercussions of the case had she been provided with all the relevant information. The WICB is available to provide a complete dossier of all relevant documents.

CMC