PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC –Regional leaders are to seek an “urgent meeting” with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) before the end of this month in a bid to resolve several issues affecting the development of the game in the region.
According to the communiqué issued at the end of their Inter-sessional summit here late on Friday night, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have agreed that their Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket will seek the meeting with the WICB “before the end of March 2012 to try and resolve several issues.
“In this regard, they received a report presented by the Government of Guyana, with respect to the ongoing situation in that country,” the communiqué said.
Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar, whose country is having its own battle with the WICB over the selection of a national association, had indicated that he was looking forward to the discussions on cricket expressing hope that they will be satisfactory, since the game is influencing unity among the Caribbean people.
The regional leaders said that the “mandate given to the sub-committee includes a mediation role in the on-going disputes between Mr Christopher Gayle and the WICB as well as issues related to the governance of cricket”.
Gayle, the former West Indies captain has not represented the regional side for more than a year after he fell out with the WICB over remarks he made concerning the coach Ottis Gibson during a radio interview in Jamaica.
The WICB has said it wants the Jamaican cricketer to publicly apologise for his statements, but Gayle, who plays international Twenty/20 cricket for a variety of teams worldwide, has declined to do so.
“Heads of Government were of the view that the recent statement by the WICB responding to the Prime Minister of Jamaica was insensitive, out of order and disappointing,” the communiqué said.
Last month, the Jamaican Prime Minister had criticised the WICB over the continuing omission of Gayle as well as the fact that no matches in the tour by Australia had been scheduled for Jamaica.
Her complaints were greeted by a response from the WICB which was deemed to be disrespectful of the Prime Minister.
CARICOM leaders said that the sub-Committee will review the state of implementation of the Patterson Report on Governance of West Indies Cricket in collaboration with the WICB.