Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Lyndel Wright hopes there will be an amicable solution to the stand-off between Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) at a board meeting arranged for today and tomorrow.
Both parties have been at loggerheads since Monday after the WICB issued a media statement criticising comments made by Simpson Miller regarding the WICB’s handling of national and Windies cricketer Chris Gayle.
The board also took issue over Simpson Miller’s expressed disappointment of Jamaica not being awarded a game for the upcoming Australian tour of the region.
“I hope that things will be resolved in an amicable way,” said Wright, who along with vice-president WICB member, Major Radcliffe Daley, departed the country yesterday for the meeting, which will be held in St Lucia.
“I hope that they will give a response in terms of our press release in which we called for a retraction of their disrespectful statements.
“We cannot sit by and allow the WICB, of which we are shareholders. to embarass the prime minister of Jamaica.
“The prime minister was within her right to comment the way she did,” Wright declared.
The WICB, in their press release, expressed disappointment at Simpson Miller’s statements regarding Chris Gayle, which were made at the JCA’s annual awards dinner last Saturday.
Justice denied
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” and “we demand that a resolution be found as quickly as possible”, the Jamaican PM had stated during her presentation.
In its release, the regional body said: “The WICB regrets the comments made by Prime Minister of Jamaica the Honourable Portia Simpson Miller.
“The WICB is further dis-appointed that the relevant officials in Jamaica did not, or did not properly, brief the newly elected prime minister.
“Had the Honourable Prime Minister been briefed she would have been informed that Mr Chris Gayle has been written to by the WICB, clearly outlining the full details of what is required of him. The WICB is awaiting a response from Mr Gayle.”
It added: “The WICB implores the prime minister to use her good office to urge Mr Gayle to respond favourably in an effort to put this issue in the past.”
GLEANER
