West Indies captain Chris Gayle. - file

CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC):

Batsman Chris Gayle has withdrawn his letter of resignation as West Indies captain, and appears to be seeking a return to the head of the beleaguered team, a West Indies Cricket Board source confirmed yesterday.

In a letter dated July 22, Gayle had served notice of his decision to step down as West Indies captain with immediate effect.

His letter came after being summoned to a disciplinary meeting by chief executive Donald Peters, but it was later revealed this had been done without the board's knowledge.

Word of Gayle's change of heart has been communicated to the WICB, with Gayle explaining that he reconsidered his decision after meaningful discussions with board presi-dent, Dr Julian Hunte, on the issues raised in the resignation letter.

Frank exchanges

According to the source, Gayle revealed that his decision was also influenced following frank exchanges with several of his teammates and some dedicated supporters of West Indies cricket.

The 28-year-old Jamaican said he was looking forward to working with the board in whatever capacity he was asked to serve, in order to help return West Indies to the pinnacle of world cricket.