(Jamaica Gleaner) The return of Jamaican batsman Chris Gayle to the West Indies team has been delayed, as the former captain is yet to sign a deal agreed on by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and CARICOM at a meeting in St Vincent today.
A high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister of St Vincent, Ralph Gonsalves was expected to resolve the dispute that has kept Gayle out of the regional team for close to a year.
The meeting also involved WICB chief executive Ernest Hilaire, WICB President Julian Hunte and Gayle.
But CMC Sports is reporting that the deal would have seen both Gayle and the WICB acknowledging that mistakes had been made during the impasse, but agreeing to move forward in the spirit of compromise.
The deal would have seen Gayle available for the current series against Australia, which ends on April 27.
However, Gayle is yet to agree as he is contracted to play in the Indian Premier League which runs from April 4 to May 27 and the English County Twenty20 tournament.
The Indian Premier League clashes with both the current Australia tour and West Indies tour of England from May 5 to June 24.
CMC Sports says Gayle is keen on fulfilling all his contractual international Twenty20 obligations.
The dominant left-hander has not played for West Indies since the World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan last March, after being sidelined for controversial public criticisms of the WICB and team coach Ottis Gibson.
He had been mandated by the board to withdraw his comments before he could be considered for selection but the player refused.
