Cricket

Although he only scored 12 in the Final, Gayle still had an impressive Tournament with the bat. His 218 run aggregate was the second highest in the Tournament, Trinidad & Tobago's Jason Mohammed claiming the top spot with 227 runs from 5 innings played. Gayle was however the Tournament's only century maker. His 147 against the Combined Colleges & Campuses, included 11 fours and 8 massive sixes and was made off only 110 balls.
Gayle's participation in the Tournament was an emphatic response to those who have had cause to question his commitment to West Indies cricket. Even moreso was his outstanding lead-from-the-front performance as captain of the victorious Jamaican team.
Gayle's ongoing dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) that has resulted in his continuing non-selection to the West Indies team, reared its ugly head again during the Tournament. Two days into the Tournament, on the eve of Jamaica's first match, the WICB issued a public statement that Gayle would only be considered for selection for West Indies if he retracted the statements he had made about the West Indies board and its officers. The board expressed its willingness to appoint a facilitator to assist Gayle in complying with their requirements and indicated that the decision was the outcome of an August 25th meeting between Gayle and WICB Chief Executive Officer Ernest Hilaire.
The relations between Gayle and the board had broken down after he gave an interview in April to a Jamaican radio station during which he was critical about both the board and West Indies Team coach Ottis Gibson. After attempts at reconciliation failed, and Gayle was left out of the squad for the whole of the home series against India, he released a long and emotional public statement, in which he traced the evolution of the dispute back to 2009, when, he said, Hilaire had cast doubts on his ability to captain the team.
In its October 20 statement, the Board said it recognized that Gayle can "contribute meaningfully" to the West Indies team, but would only select him if he withdrew his criticisms. The Board's position was endorsed by Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and now WICB Director.
Lloyd said it was important to get a senior player like Gayle back in the West Indies setup and that it would be wise for Gayle to comply with the board's requirements.
"First of all it is disappointing that the matter has gone on for as long as it has," Lloyd said in the board statement. "What we need now is closure and, to be fair, anyone of whom those comments were made would have a right to take umbrage.
"Withdrawing the comments would be the intelligent thing to do to get the issue resolved and have everyone move on. We need senior players to be in the setup to drive the progress forward and any team would love to entertain Gayle, but under the right circumstances."
Gayle has not played for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup. Since then, he has been an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore's squad in their IPL and Champions League Twenty20 campaigns, finishing as the leading run-getter in the IPL. His saga with the board had escalated to a level where the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government had become involved.
The comments Lloyd made at the time of the Board Release and those in a subsequent radio interview in Jamaica have been harshly criticized by his fellow Guyanese and former West Indies teammate Colin Croft. In a hard-hitting response, Croft accused Lloyd of gross hypocrisy, reminding the former West Indies captain of his own justified criticism of the Board several years ago: "We are not beating the rest of the world because of West Indies Cricket Board, but despite WICB!"
Croft suggested that Gayle has nothing to apologise for in regard to West Indies cricket. "He (Gayle) simply makes a living, representing well. If criticizing and comparing employers, supervisors or managers were crimes, we would be self-incarcerated forever. No one would be out here. All without exception, have done that! One of the best aspects of professionalism is that bosses should be reviewed, even by underlings."
Gayle's own response to the Board's demands was to request that it "state clearly" what it wants him to apologize for.
"They need to come clear and say what Chris Gayle should apologise for, and what should Chris Gayle retract, what are the terms, really and truly," Gayle told the Caribbean Media Corporation. "So they need to make it clear, rather than stating just one particular thing and leaving the public to speculate again, and just make this one big issue which I'm tired of, so they need to just cut it out now."
Gayle also said he thought the WICB was "playing mind games" and that he would address their demands at the end of the Regional Super 50 in Guyana, where he was at the helm of Jamaica's campaign.
"I received a message about the apology at a team meeting the day before we [Jamaica] had to play the Leewards Islands here in the middle of a regional tournament," Gayle said. "I think they [WICB] are playing mind games with Chris Gayle. I have told them that I want to focus on winning this tournament for Jamaica and I will deal with the apology issue at the end of this competition.
"I don't think the board wants to solve this issue. This needs to be closed as soon as possible and they need to be clear on what I should apologize for. State what in the interview I need to retract or apologize for."
The continuing Gayle-WICB controversy is but a further example of how much of a circus Caribbean cricket has become within recent years. Stay tuned for further developments in Caribbean cricket's latest "carnival and comess!"

November 2, 2011 issue
Cricket
Gayle's exclusion from WI team continues despite his successes
*Tony McWatt*	Jamaica are the 2011 winners of the Clive Lloyd Super 50 Championship, the symbol of Regional supremacy in Caribbean Limited Overs cricket. Led by their dynamic and controversial captain, Chris Gayle, the Jamaicans easily defeated arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago by 5 wickets in the October 29th Day/Night final played at Guyana's Providence Stadium. Gayle himself was one of the lesser stars of Jamaica's victory. He took two for 31 from
10 economical overs with his offspin to help dismiss the Trinidadians for an inadequate 118 all out in 46.1 oovers. Nikita Miller was the most successful of Jamaica's bowlers, taking 3-19 from his 12 allotted overs.

Chrys Gayle
Although he only scored 12 in the Final, Gayle still had an impressive Tournament with the bat. His 218 run aggregate was the second highest in the Tournament, Trinidad & Tobago's Jason Mohammed claiming the top spot with 227 runs from 5 innings played. Gayle was however the Tournament's only century maker. His 147 against the Combined Colleges & Campuses, included 11 fours and 8 massive sixes and was made off only 110 balls. Gayle's participation in the Tournament was an emphatic response to those who have had cause to question his commitment to West Indies cricket. Even moreso was his outstanding lead-from-the-front performance as captain of the victorious Jamaican team. Gayle's ongoing dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) that has resulted in his continuing non-selection to the West Indies team, reared its ugly head again during the Tournament. Two days into the Tournament, on the eve of Jamaica's first match, the WICB issued a public statement that Gayle would only be considered for selection for West Indies if he retracted the statements he had made about the West Indies board and its officers. The board expressed its willingness to appoint a facilitator to assist Gayle in complying with their requirements and indicated that the decision was the outcome of an August 25th meeting between Gayle and WICB Chief Executive Officer Ernest Hilaire. The relations between Gayle and the board had broken down after he gave an interview in April to a Jamaican radio station during which he was critical about both the board and West Indies Team coach Ottis Gibson. After attempts at reconciliation failed, and Gayle was left out of the squad for the whole of the home series against India, he released a long and emotional public statement, in which he traced the evolution of the dispute back to 2009, when, he said, Hilaire had cast doubts on his ability to captain the team. In its October 20 statement, the Board said it recognized that Gayle can "contribute meaningfully" to the West Indies team, but would only select him if he withdrew his criticisms. The Board's position was endorsed by Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and now WICB Director. Lloyd said it was important to get a senior player like Gayle back in the West Indies setup and that it would be wise for Gayle to comply with the board's requirements. "First of all it is disappointing that the matter has gone on for as long as it has," Lloyd said in the board statement. "What we need now is closure and, to be fair, anyone of whom those comments were made would have a right to take umbrage. "Withdrawing the comments would be the intelligent thing to do to get the issue resolved and have everyone move on. We need senior players to be in the setup to drive the progress forward and any team would love to entertain Gayle, but under the right circumstances." Gayle has not played for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup. Since then, he has been an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore's squad in their IPL and Champions League Twenty20 campaigns, finishing as the leading run-getter in the IPL. His saga with the board had escalated to a level where the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government had become involved. The comments Lloyd made at the time of the Board Release and those in a subsequent radio interview in Jamaica have been harshly criticized by his fellow Guyanese and former West Indies teammate Colin Croft. In a hard-hitting response, Croft accused Lloyd of gross hypocrisy, reminding the former West Indies captain of his own justified criticism of the Board several years ago: "We are not beating the rest of the world because of West Indies Cricket Board, but despite WICB!" Croft suggested that Gayle has nothing to apologise for in regard to West Indies cricket. "He (Gayle) simply makes a living, representing well. If criticizing and comparing employers, supervisors or managers were crimes, we would be self-incarcerated forever. No one would be out here. All without exception, have done that! One of the best aspects of professionalism is that bosses should be reviewed, even by underlings." Gayle's own response to the Board's demands was to request that it "state clearly" what it wants him to apologize for. "They need to come clear and say what Chris Gayle should apologise for, and what should Chris Gayle retract, what are the terms, really and truly," Gayle told the Caribbean Media Corporation. "So they need to make it clear, rather than stating just one particular thing and leaving the public to speculate again, and just make this one big issue which I'm tired of, so they need to just cut it out now." Gayle also said he thought the WICB was "playing mind games" and that he would address their demands at the end of the Regional Super 50 in Guyana, where he was at the helm of Jamaica's campaign. "I received a message about the apology at a team meeting the day before we [Jamaica] had to play the Leewards Islands here in the middle of a regional tournament," Gayle said. "I think they [WICB] are playing mind games with Chris Gayle. I have told them that I want to focus on winning this tournament for Jamaica and I will deal with the apology issue at the end of this competition. "I don't think the board wants to solve this issue. This needs to be closed as soon as possible and they need to be clear on what I should apologize for. State what in the interview I need to retract or apologize for." The continuing Gayle-WICB controversy is but a further example of how much of a circus Caribbean cricket has become within recent years. Stay tuned for further developments in Caribbean cricket's latest "carnival and comess!"
Pakistan record thumping win vs Sri Lanka

Saeed Ajmal... his fourth 5-wicket haul
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took five wickets to steer Pakistan to a nine wicket win in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Dubai Stadium here on Saturday, going 1-0 up in the three-match series. The 34-year-old finished with 5-68 - his fourth five wicket haul in a Test - to help restrict Sri Lanka to 257 in their second innings before Pakistan went about reaching their modest 94-run target to seal victory with a day to spare. Ajmal was ably supported by left-arm spin partner Abdul Rehman (2-65) and paceman Junaid Khan (2-38) as they exploited the spin and low bounce on a weary pitch to the best effect. Pakistan lost opener Taufeeq Umar, bowled for one by spinner Rangana Herath, but Mohammad Hafeez (59) and Azhar Ali (29) scored the required runs inside 24.1 overs soon after the lights went on in the stadium. In Sri Lankan's second innings opener Tharanga Paranavitana (72) and vice-captain Angelo Mathews (52 not out) put up notable resistance against some penetrative pace-cum spin attack from Pakistan. Pakistan had dismissed Sangakkara (30) in the fourth over of the fourth day before dismissing Mahela Jayawardene (five) and skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan (three) - three wickets within 18 runs - to put them on the victory path. The first Test ended in a draw at Abu Dhabi last week. Sri Lanka, who resumed at 88-1, had been hoping for Sangakkara to stay longer and thus keep Pakistan at bay as he did in the second innings of the first Test when he scored an epic 211. But the experienced batsman was reduced to adding just a single to his overnight score of 29 when he didn't offer a stroke to left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman's incoming delivery and although he pushed too far New Zealand umpire Tony Hill adjudged him leg-before. Mahela Jayawardene then missed a sweep off spinner Saeed Ajmal and was bowled and Dilshan's horrible form in the series continued when was trapped leg-before by paceman Junaid Khan three runs later. Paranavitana, though, remained composed and reached his ninth half-century with a square driven boundary off Umar Gul. He fell soon after lunch, caught off a sharp turning delivery from Ajmal in the slip. Pakistan took the second new ball after 85 overs and were immediatley rewarded with the wicket of Kaushal Silva, caught off a miscued pull off Khan at mid-on by Ajmla for eight. Dhammika Prasad (33) helped Mathews add an invaluable 56 for the eighth wicket to delay Pakistan's victory before Rehman bowled him with a faster delivery. Ajmal then wrapped up the tail, removing Herath (15) and Chanaka Welegedara (four) in one over and then three overs later ended the Sri Lankan innings by bowling Suranga Lakmal (eight), finishing with eight wickets in the match. The third and final Test starts in Sharjah from November 3.
England sign off with a win against India
In their last match of the Indian tour at the Eden Gardens England won the one-off Twenty20 International by six wickets with 8 balls to spare on Saturday. The victory helped England salvage some pride after being thrashed 5-0 in the ODI series. On a slow pitch, where England were bowled out for 176 in the last ODI, it was the turn of the hosts to suffer the same fate as they could manage only 120 runs losing nine wickets after MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat. The English openers Alex Hales, who came in place of ODI skipper Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter gave the side a good start as both R Ashwin and Yusuf Pathan bowled a poor line in the initial overs. Suresh Raina, who had earlier made a stroke-filled 39 off 29 balls, dropped Pietersen when the batsman was on one and it proved to be the turning point of the game. Pietersen didn't look back and took calculated risks to take the match away from India. Summary results of matches played England vs India 1st ODI, Hyderabad, Oct 14 India - 300 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs. England - 174 all out in 36.4 overs India won by 126 runs 2nd ODI, Delhi, Oct 17 England - 237 all out in 48.2 overs India - 238 for 2 wickets in 36.4 ov. India won by 8 wickets with 80 balls remaining 3rd ODI, Mohali, Oct 20 England - 298 for 4 wkts in 50 overs India - 300 for 5 wickets in 49.2 ov. India won by 5 wickets with 4 balls remaining 4th ODI, Mumbai, Oct 23 England - 220 all out in 46.1 overs India - 223 for 4 wickets in 40.1 ov. India won by 6 wickets with 59 balls remaining 5th ODI, Kolkata, Oct 25 India - 271 runs for 8 wickets in 50 overs. England - 176 all out in 37 overs India won by 95 runs Only T20 International, Kolkata, Oct 29 India - 120 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs. England - 121 for 4 wkts in 18.4 overs England won by 6 wkts with 8 balls remaining
Jamaica take Clive Lloyd Super 50 Trophy
Tamar Lambert and Shawn Findlay held their nerves while some of their teammates lost theirs, as Jamaica eased past Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) by five wickets to win the Clive Lloyd Regional Super 50 trophy at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, last Saturday. Responding to T&T's meagre total of 118 all out which was scored off 46.1 overs, thanks to Jamaica's spin-based attack, the eventual champions struggled during the earlier stages of their innings before ending on 122 for 5 from 35.4 overs, thanks to Lambert and Findlay. The pair added an unbroken 45-run sixth-wicket partnership from 6.2 overs, to seal the win for the Jamaicans who last won a Regional limited overs title four years ago, when they defeated T&T at the Three W's Oval, in Cave Hill Barbados. Earlier in the day, T&T won the toss and opting to take first strike on a slow track, must have regretted such a decision as they were shakily placed on 30 for 4, thanks to the bowling of fast bowler Andre Russell and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller. At the presentation ceremony, Miller was named the man-of-the-match while Gayle was named best all-rounder of the tournament, Guyana's Derwin Christian (best wicketkeeper), and Jason Mohammed best batsman and player-of-the-tournament respectively.
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