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Windies cricket the loser in Gayle affair
From the Sports Desk
Hartley Anderson
Sunday, January 22, 2012
A mounting suspicion among cricket watchers is that the liaison between Chris Gayle and the West Indies setup is a thing of the past.
Indeed, if things remain as they are, the fans who would turn out to see the fearless Jamaican in action will have to settle for the occasional appearance for his territory — depending on availability — and the increasingly popular televised Indian Premier League (IPL).
The reality is that the stalemate between Gayle and the regional board has persisted for far too long and is apparently beyond recall. A poignant question, therefore, is, who really stands to lose — Gayle or West Indies cricket, which includes the team itself and, of course, the longsuffering fans, some of whom still hold fast to the dream of once again attaining the pinnacle of the sport?
For me, the most disappointing aspect of the conflict is the evident lack of will by either party to mend fences, in spite of persistent pleas from sections of the region. As it turns out, those appeals have obviously not been emitted by the most influential people in society — the result being the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) continuing to play politics with a game held so dearly in the region.
However, since the opportunity to play Twenty20 cricket across the globe abounds, Gayle has little choice but to view these developments as the silver lining behind the dark clouds of circumstances that in all fairness may be perceived as the inability to resolve simple problems.
In this vein, Gayle should be comfy with his overall status, relieved as he is of West Indies duties and not having to seek the blessings of the WICB to ply his trade anywhere in the world. For, had he been on contract, he would have had to secure a No Objection Clause before he could be signed to franchises in the various countries.
As a player with lofty ambitions, it is understandable that Gayle would have had unfinished business in his international career, the details of which are unknown. For the knowledgeable among us, Gayle is a fiercely competitive individual whose confidence knows no bounds.
As one of only four batsmen in history to have achieved the enviable milestone of two triple Test centuries, he is not only immensely successful in his career so far, but is also cognisant of his position in the annals of the sport.
One therefore empathises with what is in all likelihood an abortion of the international career of an exciting player at the height of his prowess.
Further, contrary to other views, Gayle appeard to be very aware of his responsibilities to West Indies cricket at a time when the team was (and still is) at the foot of the world rankings and urgently needed resuscitation.
For those who have listened to the big left-hander speak, he was, without a doubt, willing to make sacrifices and forego a few financial opportunities in order to represent the West Indies. What we heard was a man who was obviously hurting and who needed an outlet for addressing what he deemed glaring and inexcusable weaknesses in the fabric of a presumably reputable entity.
Still in his early 30s, Gayle, happily, has a few more years left in the sport and the Twenty20 franchises around the world are never going to ignore that. Just last week, the Royal Challengers Bangalore announced that they had retained the services of the leading run-scorer in the IPL last season and were happy to fork out what sources say could amount to US$2 million, or the Jamaican equivalent of $172 million.
Further, with the ultra-rich Mumbai Indians breathing down their necks, they have signed him for the next two years. According to Bangalore director Sidhartha Mallya, "We are delighted to make Chris Gayle a permanent member of our IPL squad. We are confident that with players like him in our side, we will take the extra step this season, and win our maiden IPL title,"
According to Gayle: "To me, Bangalore has been a home away from home. "I wanted to continue playing for them, and it turned out that they were keen to retain my services."
As one of the two or three most sought-after players in the shortest version worldwide, Gayle holds at least four such contracts, including one with the Sydney Thunder for whom he is currently competing in the Australian Big Bash Tournament.
Additionally, in what was described as "a fierce bidding war" last week, Gayle landed a $551,000 deal with Barisal in the inaugural Bangladesh T20 tournament. However, he will get only "a proportionate amount of those fees" because of his unavailability for the full season.
It gets even better for Gayle as he is also signed to the Dolphins in South Africa's domestic Twenty20 series, beginning on February 15, not to mention his recent commitment to Somerset Club for the English version this summer.
By any standard, this is fantastic going for the swashbuckling opening batsman who has been sidelined by the regional body, subsequent to an injury, since the ICC World Cup on the Sub-Continent ended early last year.
It is to his credit that apparently without even trying, Gayle is in such demand throughout the cricket-playing nations around the world.
In returning to the earlier question as to who really loses in this brouhaha, therefore, I daresay it is merely rhetorical as Gayle's credentials have preceded him and ensures he stays active while earning a lucrative living, to say the least.
In contrast, the Windies have played four series over the past year — against Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and again against India, in that order - with Gayle being repeatedly ignored.
Apart from a few individual performances worthy of note, the Windies are still awaiting a game-changer and look as inept as they ever did.
However, as we all know, a king is without honour in his own country. In light of the continued snubbing by the regional selectors, Gayle's word for the moment is simply to make hay while the sun shines.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1kChcwGQj
From the Sports Desk
Hartley Anderson
Sunday, January 22, 2012A mounting suspicion among cricket watchers is that the liaison between Chris Gayle and the West Indies setup is a thing of the past.
Indeed, if things remain as they are, the fans who would turn out to see the fearless Jamaican in action will have to settle for the occasional appearance for his territory — depending on availability — and the increasingly popular televised Indian Premier League (IPL).
The reality is that the stalemate between Gayle and the regional board has persisted for far too long and is apparently beyond recall. A poignant question, therefore, is, who really stands to lose — Gayle or West Indies cricket, which includes the team itself and, of course, the longsuffering fans, some of whom still hold fast to the dream of once again attaining the pinnacle of the sport?
For me, the most disappointing aspect of the conflict is the evident lack of will by either party to mend fences, in spite of persistent pleas from sections of the region. As it turns out, those appeals have obviously not been emitted by the most influential people in society — the result being the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) continuing to play politics with a game held so dearly in the region.
However, since the opportunity to play Twenty20 cricket across the globe abounds, Gayle has little choice but to view these developments as the silver lining behind the dark clouds of circumstances that in all fairness may be perceived as the inability to resolve simple problems.
In this vein, Gayle should be comfy with his overall status, relieved as he is of West Indies duties and not having to seek the blessings of the WICB to ply his trade anywhere in the world. For, had he been on contract, he would have had to secure a No Objection Clause before he could be signed to franchises in the various countries.
As a player with lofty ambitions, it is understandable that Gayle would have had unfinished business in his international career, the details of which are unknown. For the knowledgeable among us, Gayle is a fiercely competitive individual whose confidence knows no bounds.
As one of only four batsmen in history to have achieved the enviable milestone of two triple Test centuries, he is not only immensely successful in his career so far, but is also cognisant of his position in the annals of the sport.
One therefore empathises with what is in all likelihood an abortion of the international career of an exciting player at the height of his prowess.
Further, contrary to other views, Gayle appeard to be very aware of his responsibilities to West Indies cricket at a time when the team was (and still is) at the foot of the world rankings and urgently needed resuscitation.
For those who have listened to the big left-hander speak, he was, without a doubt, willing to make sacrifices and forego a few financial opportunities in order to represent the West Indies. What we heard was a man who was obviously hurting and who needed an outlet for addressing what he deemed glaring and inexcusable weaknesses in the fabric of a presumably reputable entity.
Still in his early 30s, Gayle, happily, has a few more years left in the sport and the Twenty20 franchises around the world are never going to ignore that. Just last week, the Royal Challengers Bangalore announced that they had retained the services of the leading run-scorer in the IPL last season and were happy to fork out what sources say could amount to US$2 million, or the Jamaican equivalent of $172 million.
Further, with the ultra-rich Mumbai Indians breathing down their necks, they have signed him for the next two years. According to Bangalore director Sidhartha Mallya, "We are delighted to make Chris Gayle a permanent member of our IPL squad. We are confident that with players like him in our side, we will take the extra step this season, and win our maiden IPL title,"
According to Gayle: "To me, Bangalore has been a home away from home. "I wanted to continue playing for them, and it turned out that they were keen to retain my services."
As one of the two or three most sought-after players in the shortest version worldwide, Gayle holds at least four such contracts, including one with the Sydney Thunder for whom he is currently competing in the Australian Big Bash Tournament.
Additionally, in what was described as "a fierce bidding war" last week, Gayle landed a $551,000 deal with Barisal in the inaugural Bangladesh T20 tournament. However, he will get only "a proportionate amount of those fees" because of his unavailability for the full season.
It gets even better for Gayle as he is also signed to the Dolphins in South Africa's domestic Twenty20 series, beginning on February 15, not to mention his recent commitment to Somerset Club for the English version this summer.
By any standard, this is fantastic going for the swashbuckling opening batsman who has been sidelined by the regional body, subsequent to an injury, since the ICC World Cup on the Sub-Continent ended early last year.
It is to his credit that apparently without even trying, Gayle is in such demand throughout the cricket-playing nations around the world.
In returning to the earlier question as to who really loses in this brouhaha, therefore, I daresay it is merely rhetorical as Gayle's credentials have preceded him and ensures he stays active while earning a lucrative living, to say the least.
In contrast, the Windies have played four series over the past year — against Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and again against India, in that order - with Gayle being repeatedly ignored.
Apart from a few individual performances worthy of note, the Windies are still awaiting a game-changer and look as inept as they ever did.
However, as we all know, a king is without honour in his own country. In light of the continued snubbing by the regional selectors, Gayle's word for the moment is simply to make hay while the sun shines.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1kChcwGQj
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