WICB STATEMENT: The WICB is disappointed by the continued unprofessionalism being displayed by Mr. Gayle in dealing with this matter. It does not help that whilst matters are under discussion, Mr. Gayle, rather than expressing his views directly to the Board through one of the numerous channels open to him, chooses instead to make public his version of events and to create further antagonism.
Poor light and a rain delay mean India are unable to press home their advantage on the final day of the second Test against the West Indies in Barbados.
Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle launches a stinging attack on the region’s cricket board for leaving him on the sidelines.
I, Christopher Henry Gayle, am making this statement so that all my friends, fans and followers who continue to wonder why I am not being picked for the West Indies team despite being fit, available and in form will know the truth considering the many rumours and statements that have been made as it relates to this issue. Until now, I have kept my silence, but I believe that the time has come for you to all know what I plan to do about this extremely frustrating and humiliating situation.
VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid both hit half-centuries to leave India in a strong position after day four in the second Test against West Indies.
Ishant Sharma takes a career best 6-55 as India establish a narrow lead after the third day of the second Test in Bridgetown.
India fast bowler Ishant Sharma snares two wickets in four balls on a rain-affected day two of the second Test against West Indies.
West Indies are 30 for three in response to India’s first innings total of 201 after day one of the second Test in Barbados.
The Jamaica Cricket Association’s (JCA) election was long in the making. Suggestions of impropriety lead to delays in the Annual General Meeting while the organization’s financial records were audited. On 11th May, Lyndel Wright won the mandate – by a wide margin – to direct Jamaica’s cricket for the next two years.
He is better known as the half-brother of O’Neil Gordon ‘Collie’ Smith – a famous West Indian all rounder whose life was cut short in a car accident in England at the age of 26. Wright was a spinner who bowled leg breaks for Boys Town which at the time had a strong team playing in Jamaica’s Senior Cup competition. Making his debut for Jamaica in 1969, Wright went on to represent his country for 10 years, playing his last match against Guyana in April 1979. He later managed several Jamaica teams and has a reputation as a disciplinarian. </p
"Go home white boy, you're no good. You couldn't make it there, so why are you here?" It's 2007 and Brendan Nash is batting at the trials in Jamaica. A few locals came on all four days of the trials and gave him a hard time.
Dear Mr. Camacho:
On behalf of the West Indies Players Association, I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 21st, 2011.
As we understand it, there are two substantive issues at hand.
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Food orders for Day 5 of the 1st Digicel Test between India and the West Indies had to be cancelled when the visitors rolled over the home team just after Lunch on Day 4. Losing by 63 runs, after putting in a commendable bowling performance in the first half of the India innings, the West Indies team came under much criticism.
CaribbeanCricket.com asked four former West Indian cricketers to share their assessment of the Test Match and what changes they would make for the 2nd Test to be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Would Chris Gayle be in their team? </p
West Indian player Ravi Rampaul has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee and captain Darren Sammy has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during their team’s Test match against India in Jamaica.
Rampaul was charged with showing dissent to an umpire’s decision and Sammy’s for his actions against the spirit of the game. Rampaul was found to have breached 2.1.3 of the code which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision” while Sammy was found to have breached 2.1.8 which deals with conduct “contrary to the spirit of the game”.
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Rampaul fined and Sammy reprimanded for breaching ICC Code of Conduct
read more at ESPNcricinfo
read more at The Hindu
read more at REUTERS Africa
read more at NDTV Sports
Score updates from the first Test in Jamaica
"If West Indies win by Wednesday, you can never die. The spirits you know …" He is clutching a crumpled paper-bag of peanuts, his eyes are bloodshot, saliva drips out from the corner of his mouth, his head is tonsured, he is dishevelled, probably homeless, and he was just chased away by the cops from the boundary line. The kids call him Danny Germs. He used to be Richard Austin. A West Indies Test cricketer.
read more at Link
St John’s, Antigua – Following is the full text of a letter sent by the West Indies Cricket Board Corporate Secretary Stephen Camacho to West Indies Players Association Secretary Andrew Richardson
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WIPA PRESS RELEASE:-The Board of Directors of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has made it clear that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has gone too far. Speaking on behalf of WIPA, Director Michael Hall said flatly, “The WICB cannot tell us who should represent the players at meetings with the WICB. It is very interesting that this comes at this time with so many upcoming Arbitration matters and the very important negotiation for a revised Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum Of Understanding."
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WIPA PRESS RELEASE: The WIPA board wishes to make clear that it has complete confidence in its President and CEO Mr. Dinanath Ramnarine who continues to have full authority to represent WIPA in all matters. Simply, Ramnarine's performance record speaks volumes. His dedication and successes in advocating players’ rights speak for themselves. Moreover, he remains committed to constructively dialogue with the WICB on all matters as he has ably done in the past.
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A source close to the WICB has said that the decision by the WICB to cease engaging with WIPA President and CEO Dinanath Ramnarine is a critical step towards ensuring stability in West Indies cricket.
“While the board, in its announcement included the caveat “unless there is a change in his (Ramnarine’s) behaviour and conduct” the WICB is firm that it will no longer engage Ramnarine and has left the ball in the court of the players,” the source said.
“The players now have to decide whether they want to jeopardize their entire futures and fight for Ramnarine or act in their best interest and nominate other executives to represent them in all outstanding matters,” the source revealed.
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WICB wants disruptive Ramnarine gone, astute Wavell Hinds in
Minutes after the official ceremony naming the Players' Pavilion at Sabina Park in his honour, Lawrence Rowe officially apologized for leading the 'Rebel' tour to South Africa. In a short prepared
statement, the stylish right handed batsman said that after 28 years he felt this was the right time to apologize.
"It is common knowledge, that 28 years ago, I led a team of West Indian cricketers on a tour to South Africa. South Africa at that time was banned from international cricket because of the Apartheid regime that was enforced in that country.</p
An enterprising 146-run partnership between Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina spares India’s blushes on day one of the first Test against West Indies.
WICB PRESS RELEASE- Kingston, Jamaica – Following are decisions taken by the Board of Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board at the meeting of the Board in Kingston, Jamaica on June 17th.
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Decisions following June 17th meeting of WICB Board of Directors
V.S. Naipaul had a character named 'Hat' in his book, Miguel Street. I had my Uncle 'Jacket' in real life. He was called the 'Jacket Man' because he always wore a coat – even to cut cane or milk the cattle. He loved cricket and lived long enough to see his son (and my cousin) Deonarine play for Trinidad.
read more at Jamaica Gleaner
AIDE MEMOIRE – June 17th 2011
Meeting Between the WICB and Mr. Christopher Henry Gayle, June 14, 2011.
1. The Agenda for the meeting was:
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Meeting Between the WICB and Mr. Christopher Henry Gayle, June 14, 2011.
Kingston, Jamaica – The West Indies Cricket Board Selection Panel has named the following 13 man squad for the First Digicel Test v India at Sabina Park starting on Monday June 20th.
Darren Sammy – Captain
Brendan Nash – Vice Captain
Adrian Barath
Carlton Baugh
Devendra Bishoo
Darren Bravo
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Fidel Edwards
Ravi Rampaul
Kemar Roach
Marlon Samuels
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Lendl Simmons
Selection notes:
1. There is one change from the last Test squad which faced Pakistan in St Kitts. Adrian Barath replaces Kraigg Brathwaite.
2. Following communications between WICB Management and Chanderpaul over the past weeks the WICB Management and Team Management will meet with Shivnarine Chanderpaul prior to the Test. The WICB Management and Team Management will outline to Chanderpaul the WICB’s expectations of him in his future participation in the West Indies team as a player.
Kingston, Jamaica – Following is a statement from the West Indies Cricket Board on the meeting with Chris Gayle.
On Tuesday June 14th Chief Executive Officer of the WICB, Dr. Ernest Hilaire; Director of Cricket, Anthony Howard; Head Coach Ottis Gibson and Team Manager Richie Richardson met with Chris Gayle in Kingston.
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India's inexperience was brutally exposed by the big hitters in the West Indies side as the hosts recorded another morale-boosting win in the fifth and final one-day international in Jamaica.
read more at cricket365
Finally West Indies managed to put together the kind of cluster of performances that they have been missing, and hence losing matches – often from positions from where they can win.
read more at ESPNcricinfo
St John’s Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board Selection Committee has named an unchanged 13 man squad to face India in the 4th Digicel Pearls One Day International at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds on Monday June 13th.
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I am concerned about certain falsehoods which are being disseminated in certain sections of Caribbean media. These falsehoods seem designed to continue to smear my character as an individual, a cricketer and West Indies captain.
Therefore I wish to make it abundantly clear to the public that at no time did I discourage, dissuade or in any other way seek to influence any player’s non-attendance to the recently held WIPA Awards function. Players made their own decisions not to attend.
I also wish to make it clear that I myself was unable due to personal reasons. I expressed regret at my inability to attend however at no time did I give any commitment to WIPA or any of its officers that I would be attending the function and any suggestion to the contrary is not based in fact.
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St John’s, Antigua – President of the West Indies Cricket Board Dr. Julian Hunte sent condolences to the daughters of Esmond Kentish following his passing yesterday.
Kentish who played two Test matches for the West Indies in 1948 and 1954 was the oldest living West Indian cricketer
The weather was glorious in spells; so was the West Indies. Monday morning, old timers at the Queen's Park Oval for the first ball at 9 o'clock, people from far far like Moruga driving to town early early, not only because of the distance but because that's just the way they are, merciful sun shining over the field, the stands creating a shadow ring over the boundary, Indian opening batsman Dhawan strolling to take his position in the little shade in front Republic Bank stand, no noise yet from those Trini Posse party people, the Oval still sober, and it seemed, on a day that starts like that, nothing could go wrong.
The West Indies Cricket Board Selection Committee has named the following West Indies 13 man squad to face India in the 3rd Digicel Pearls One Day International match at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds on Saturday June 11th.
It is sometime in the early 1950s in Georgetown, Guyana. Frank Sinatra's voice fills the room and the boys and girls are swaying, but one kid stands apart a little, shy. He has a problem, a terrible stammer that is killing his confidence.
"By the time I went 'May I…' Sinatra's song would get over. I struggled socially in school. I couldn't participate in discussions because I couldn't get my questions or replies out."
He would, though, grow up to be Joseph "Reds" Perreira, a famous radio commentator and sports administrator in the Caribbean. His voice, clear, loud, and with no hint of a stammer, goes on to boom through radios across the world for decades.
ESPNcricinfo has the article
I couldn’t remember – leave alone identify – Charlie Davis when he walked into the bar at the Queen’s Park Oval. He looked older than 67.
ESPNcricinfo has the story
This is the full text of the keynote address by Dr Rudi Webster at the 2011 WIPA Awards ceremony:
Today the world is more complex and competitive than it has ever been, even in sport, and success now requires a new kind of leadership that has motivation, management of relationships and management of change as first important priorities.
In Australia, I often had to remind coaches and administrators that although players are great warriors on the field, they are still sensitive human beings who have a basic human need for love, respect, recognition, and admiration. I explained that if those needs were met they would perform better, particularly in tough situations when they have to give something extra. </p
WICB PRESS RELEASE-Port-of-Spain, Trinidad – West Indies finished on the losing end on Monday as they fell to India by four wickets as the West Indies v India Series opened before a colourful crowd at Queen’s Park Oval. Batting first, the Windies reached 214-9 off their 50 overs and the visitors reached the target for six wickets to win with 31 balls to spare.
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PORT OF SPAIN: The official sponsors of West Indies cricket announced just before the start of the match that a Blackberry was on offer as a prize to anybody who could predict the correct score for the team batting first and the number of wickets that would fall.
The Times of India carried the story
St John’s, Antigua – Off spinner Shane Shillingford has been cleared by the International Cricket Council to return to international cricket. The ICC formally notified the WICB of the clearance following a Biomechanical Bowling Analysis which was conducted at the University of Western Australia on May 25th last by a research team headed by Prof. Bruce Elliott.</p
West Indies’ off-spinner Shane Shillingford has had his suspension lifted after remedial work on his bowling action.
WIPA wishes to express its concern with regard to the Selectors’ Notes No 4 of the WICB Media Release of 29th May 2011 in which the West Indies Cricket Board’s Selection Committee named the West Indies squads for the upcoming Twenty/20 and First and Second One – Day International matches scheduled to be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad & Tobago.
That Note 4 read:
"4. Chris Gayle will not be considered for selection to the West Indies team before an intended meeting with himself, the Selection Committee, the WICB Management and the West Indies Team Management. The Selection Committee views this meeting as necessary as a result of Gayle’s comments in a widely publicized radio interview in Jamaica."
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WIPA PRESS RELEASE-WIPA congratulates all of those West Indian players who participated in the IPL- Jerome Taylor, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Christopher Gayle. They all put in quality performances in a world class event with Pollard and Gayle copping series awards and Bravo being part of the Championship team. Chris Gayle’s participation was particularly noteworthy since he was a latecomer to the tournament but ended it by powering his team to the finals after 12 matches amassing 608 runs, a highest score of 107 (one of two hundreds) and a phenomenal strike rate of 183.13.
 
St John’s, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board’s Selection Committee has named the following West Indies squads for the Digicel Pearls Twenty20 and the First and Second Digicel Pearls ODIs at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
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WICB announces squad for Digicel Pearls T20 & 1st & 2nd ODIs
Suresh Raina will lead a weakened India side for their forthcoming one-day international series in West Indies.
India's already-depleted squad for the tour of the West Indies has suffered further setbacks: shoulder injuries to Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh's respiratory infection, and Sachin Tendulkar's wish to spend time with his family have ruled the four players out of the whole trip.
ESPNcricinfo has the story
by DR RUDI WEBSTER
Many years ago, I discussed off-field teamwork and leadership with Peter Brock, Australia’s most successful racing car driver and tried to identify the differences between motor racing and other sports in those two areas. Brock said that in motor racing the driver’s safety and life depends on the performance of the back up team and that it is impossible to win unless you have a good, cohesive, and supportive team behind you. </p
There aren't too many who would trade the penthouse for the basement. Ottis Gibson did. Had he stayed on with England as bowling coach, he would have been associated with the most celebrated Ashes triumph in half a century.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Pakistan romped to a series-levelling victory against West Indies in the second cricket test 17 minutes before lunch on the final day at Warner Park on Tuesday.
Canadian Press has the story
Pakistan wrap up series-levelling victory by routing West Indies
West Indies were left needing a miracle to save the second Test after Pakistan wiped out their top order, leaving them well adrift of a mammoth victory target of 427 yesterday.-The Jamaica Gleaner