Bridgetown (Barbados), July 2: Out of favour batsman Chris Gayle said he is not ready to be the West Indies Cricket Board's whipping boy and dismissed as 'sham and mockery' the reconciliation efforts made so far.
Gayle said since he has realised that he is 'unwanted' by the Board, he will explore other avenues for himself. He though made it clear that he is not retiring and is available to play for the West Indies.
Gayle is locked in a bitter row with the West Indies Cricket Board over several issues.
Allegations and counter-allegations meant that Gayle missed out on the home series against Pakistan and the ongoing tour of India.
“I am now coming close to the end of my shelf-life as a cricketer..... not hearing from the West Indies Cricket Board with any clear pathway forward, I have come to the bitter realisation that I am not wanted by the Board and all that has gone before in terms of reconciliation is a sham and a mockery,” Gayle said in a hard-hitting statement.
“I see it as a scam to fool the people of the West Indies and the world into believing that they were serious about my returning to West Indies cricket." With the two meetings with the Board failing to end the bitterness and no further effort being made by WICB to resolve the the issue, Gayle said he can no longer wait and has decided to choose a path for himself.
“My eyes are open, my heart is clean, my conscience is clear and the voice of reason is loud in my ears telling me that I should close this chapter in my life. I am not going to be the WICB's whipping boy.
“I have now decided not to wait on the WICB any longer but while I still have the time and the skills to explore the opportunities available to me elsewhere. I do it reluctantly but have no choice. I have people to take care of and cannot sit for months waiting on WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire and the Board,” Gayle's statement read.
The left-hander had recently signed a contract with Sydney Thunders to play in Australia's Big Bash. He was also instrumental in Royal Challengers Bangalore's runners-up finish in the fourth edition of the IPL.
Gayle accused the WICB of being biased against him in the whole issue.
“There is a disciplinary process in West Indies cricket. Yet the (board) is allowed to be the complainant, as well as policeman, judge, jury and executioner in my case. When I tried to respond to the accusations made against me, I am deemed to be out of place and trying to destroy West Indies cricket, ” said Gayle.
He though said that he is still available to play for the country if selectors pick him in the national squad.
“I wish to make it abundantly clear that I have not yet retired from any form of the game and remain available for selection for both Jamaica and West Indies,” he said.
