[CRICKET]

Did Gayle Get JCA Permission?

by TONY BECCA (Jamaica Gleaner)

The greatest honour that any man can have is that of representing his country and regardless of how often he does so or how brilliantly he performs, it should always remains so.

That, however, is not always so. There are those who, despite dreaming about representing their country when they were youngsters and celebrating when the dream comes true, take it for granted after a while, and unfortunately that now seems to be case with a number of Jamaica's cricketers.

The attitude of a number of Jamaica's leading cricketers in recent times suggests that they no longer see any honour in representing Jamaica. In fact, sometimes their approach to the game is such that the fans are left wondering if it matters to them whether they perform or not when representing Jamaica.

Anyone who has ever played the game or who has been around the game, knows that even the best batsmen can fail to score even against ordinary bowlers and they accept that not even the best can perform every time.

What hurts the fans, therefore, is not that the players do not perform all the time. What hurts them is that the players do not seem to be giving their best all the time - as was the case against India A at Sabina Park in mid-March and in the second innings against Guyana a few days ago.

Another example of the attitude of some of Jamaica's cricketers to Jamaica's cricket is what is happening right now.

Jamaica are in the four-day final of the Carib Beer International Shield against Barbados, but while Barbados are at full strength, Jamaica are not.

One reason why Jamaica are not full strength is because pacer Daren Powell is ill. The other reason, however, has nothing to do with illness or injury. It is because one player, Christopher Gayle, has opted to play in a double-wicket competition in St. Lucia rather than represent Jamaica.

Although Gayle has a right to do what he wants to do, although he will earn more money playing in the double-wicket competition than representing Jamaica, and although he must look about his welfare, it just does not seem right that Jamaica are contesting a final and he, one of the top players, is not playing because he is playing elsewhere.

It is true that the final was scheduled for last weekend and it also true that Gayle signed a contract. According to the organisers, however, because of the circumstances he did not have to fulfil the contract. In fact, once Jamaica got to the final they did not expect him to play - so much so that according to organiser Joseph 'Reds' Perreira, they had said as much to him and had asked Shivnarine Chanderpaul to replace him as Carl Hooper's partner.

Gayle, however, told them that he would be playing in the double-wicket whether Jamaica made it to the final of the regional tournament or not - and when Ruddy Williams, chairman of the selection committee, heard about Gayle's decision and asked him about it, that was what he also told him.

What is important, however, is whether Gayle got permission from the Jamaica Cricket Board to leave the team and go to the double-wicket competition.

According to members of the Board, he did not. According to the organisers, however, Gayle has said that he got permission from the president of the Board who is in St. Lucia as the referee for the competition.

If Gayle got permission from the president, there is nothing that can be done about it except to find out from the president what is more important ­ the regional final or a double-wicket competition.

If, however, he did not get permission, he should not be allowed to get away with walking away.

What is really interesting is the response of members of the Jamaica team to Gayle's decision not to play with them ­ not to help them win the final.

Based on the reports coming out of Barbados, the senior members of the Jamaica team have no problem with Gayle leaving them and going off to the double-wicket competition.

That is not surprising. It only further exposes the attitude of some of the players and suggests that to them Jamaica is second, not first ­ that they probably would all have gone to St. Lucia had they been invited.

* Republished from the Jamaica Gleaner.