WICB sides with selectors on Gayle's captaincy

The West Indies Cricket Board is believed to have asked Bruce Aanensen, its chief executive, to offer Chris Gayle the captaincy of the one-day side for the series against England and for the subsequent quadrangular series in Ireland.

The website caribbeancricket.com reported that the full board sided with the selection panel's choice of Gayle as captain after the WICB executive committee had rejected the panel's recommendation on the grounds of indiscipline. The committee had instead advised the three-member selection panel, headed by Gordon Greenidge to appoint Daren Ganga as the one-day captain and Denesh Ramdin as vice-captain.

Ganga, who was appointed stand-in captain for the Tests after Ramnaresh Sarwan pulled out of the tour following an injury, is not part of the one-day squad that the selectors picked on June 9.

The website reported that the committee's attempts to overrule the selectors - Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Clyde Butts - did not sit well with the three officials and they threatened to resign if the board interfered with the selection process and forced the appointment of Ganga as captain.

Before the start of the tour the board had asked the selectors to pick the squads with a view to rebuild. Greenidge had retorted by saying that the panel felt it was wrong to totally change at this stage. "We wish to actually still compete credibly rather than just go through what one might consider the rebuilding process," he was quoted as saying by carribeancricket.com.

In order to resolve the situation the board organised a teleconference in which it was decided that Gayle would be offered the captaincy while Shivnarine Chanderpaul would be asked to take over as vice-captain. It was also made clear, the website said, that the selection panel would autonomously pick a squad without interference from the board.

Aanensen, it was reported, has been asked to discuss the issue with Ganga to make sure that the controversy did not affect him when he leads the team out on June 15 for the final Test at Chester-le-Street.

An announcement on the issue will be made once the formalities have been completed subject to Gayle and Chanderpaul accepting the posts.