By Tony Becca - From The Boundary 
THE WEST Indies will be without opening batsman Christopher Gayle when the first Test against Australia opens at Bourda this morning and although he and the Jamaica Board must take some of the blame for what, according to the selectors, led to his absence, so too should the selectors themselves.
Based on the guidelines governing selection to the West Indies team, the selectors erred.
Faced with a choice of representing Jamaica or playing in the double wicket tournament in St. Lucia, Gayle went to St. Lucia however, according to the organisers, he did not have to go.
According to the Jamaica Board he was not given permission to go and, although he has stated that he went "with the full belief that I was within the "law" of the WICB and had obtained permission from the relevant authority and had the blessing of my teammates", all things considered, he should not have gone.
The fact that he was needed to represent Jamaica in the West Indies Board's competition - and particularly so in an important match, that he is a West Indies player, that the double wicket tournament was not a West Indies Board event, he should not have gone, and by going, he must take some of the blame for what has happened.
As far as the Jamaica Board is concerned, it too must take some of the blame - and it should for the simple reason that although, in his own words, president Jackie Hendriks was disappointed that he went and in doing so did not represent Jamaica, when it heard that Gayle intended to go to St. Lucia instead of representing Jamaica in a West Indies Board competition, it did not say to him "don't go".
The Jamaica Board simply stood by and allowed things to happen.
Based on what they have said, the Jamaica Board and its management team, which according to coach Linden Wright and captain Robert Samuels, was under the impression that the double wicket tournament was a WICB event and that Gayle was representing the West Indies, asked Gayle what he intended to do, he told them that he wanted to go to St. Lucia, and they all told him that the decision was his.
That is probably why Gayle has said that among his beliefs, one was that he had the permission of the relevant authority and why Hendriks has said that he was not given "formal" approval.
The Board could not have prevented Gayle from going to St. Lucia instead of Barbados, but if it believed that he should have gone to Barbados, it should have tried and, because of that, it too must take a share of the blame for what has happened.
Most of the blame rests with the selectors, however, for although there are good reasons why Gayle should not have been selected, it was not their decision to make.
According to the selectors, Gayle was not selected because of a lack of commitment to West Indies cricket. In the circumstances, however, that decision should have been made by the WICB and, lest it be forgotten, the WICB had not only asked Gayle and the JCA to submit a report, it had not only said that they would then make a decision on whether Gayle had breached the eligibly rule, but it had also informed Sir Vivian Richards, chairman of the selection committee, "that until such time as a decision has been made to the contrary, Gayle is eligible for selection to the West Indies team".
"Chris Gayle's first loyalty should have been to Jamaica. I cannot condone his not playing for Jamaica," said Hendriks two days ago, there are many Jamaicans who share that view and who believe that he should not be allowed to get away with it.
There is a right way and a wrong way of doing things, however, and even if they believed that Gayle was wrong to do what he did and that he should pay a price, the selectors certainly went about it the wrong way.
Gayle may have simply made a mistake, if that is so, he deserves to be forgiven, and these words from Gayle suggest that it was so: "While I may have made a misguided decision, I do not believe that I have done anything wrong.
"However, if I am wrong in this belief, I wish to assure everyone in the Caribbean and in particular Jamaica that I did not intend to do wrong and I humbly seek your forgiveness and understanding."
