Gayle
JAMAICA OPENER Christopher Gayle is among the six West Indies players who were ruled ineligible for the ongoing first Digicel Test against South Africa have been cleared for selection to the regional team as of the next Test match.
Batsmen Christopher Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan, allrounder Dwayne Bravo and fast bowler Fidel Edwards were given the green light by the West Indies Cricket Board yesterday.
According to a release issued by the board, the players have sorted out individual contractual arrangements with Cable and Wireless Limited, which proved problematic as rival telecommunications company, Digicel, is the team's sponsor.
CLOSURE TO CONTRACTS
All four players requested closure to their contracts with Cable and Wireless and were granted that facility. Left-handed batting maestro Brian Lara has also indicated that he is willing to accept the board's invitation to make himself available for selection.
Lara, who has a long-standing contract with Cable and Wireless, was originally listed among seven ineligible players but later given clearance for selection ahead of the Bourda Test. However, he opted out of the current Test in solidarity with his teammates.
ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION
"The West Indies Cricket Board has advised the selectors that Christopher Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo and Fidel Edwards are eligible for selection on the West Indies team for the second Test in the Digicel 2005 Home Series against South Africa," the WICB release stated.
It added: "The advice with respect to Gayle and Sarwan followed the review by the board's legal counsel of correspondence from legal representatives of the two players.
"With respect to Bravo and Edwards, the board received correspondence from Cable and Wireless to the effect that the company had terminated their personal endorsement contracts."
Ravi Rampaul and Dwayne Smith remain the only players now ineligible for selection due to their individual Cable and Wireless contracts.
The second Test match begins in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 8.
