Western Bureau:

Prior to Professor Hilary Beckles' characterisation of former West Indies captain Chris Gayle as a 'don', I was of the view that an eminent man of his stature would have acted and reasoned differently from the average Joe. Unfortunately, his utterances have made a mockery of that notion.

In fact, the pristine view I once had of Professor Beckles has been shattered beyond recovery because I simply cannot understand how a man of his intellectual acumen could, without any evidence or any other form of justification, compare Gayle with former Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

I find the comments of Professor Beckles so outlandish that I am beginning to wonder whether or not he really understands the dynamics of Caribbean life and, by extension, West Indies cricket, in a changing world. In fact, based on his current posture, it would appear that he is hopelessly trapped in the 'backra massa' era, where the boss is always right and subordinates obey without question.

expressed disgust

While it would be disingenuous of me to say that, as a cricketer, Gayle is without fault, if one should judge what he is saying alongside the utterances of the other senior West Indies players, who also expressed disgust with the way they have been treated by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), it would be hard to believe that it is not the WICB that is lacking pedigree in regard to general decorum and honesty.

I believe that in describing Gayle as a 'don', knowing the sinister connotation such a title carries, Professor Beckles has taken the matter out of the realms of cricket and into a cesspool of ugliness. In fact, after such an insincere and brutish attack on his integrity, I am seriously wondering whether or not Gayle should not put the matter in the hands of his lawyers.

From a Jamaican perspective, it was so refreshing to hear sports minister Olivia Grange and her predecessor, opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller, coming out in defence of Gayle and demanding that professor Beckles withdraw the statement. Gayle is not just another Jamaican, he is one of our premier sporting heroes, and unless there is evidence to substantiate professor Beckles' claim, it must be retracted.

With individuals like professor Beckles in a position to influence the direction of West Indies cricket to suit his taste and selfish interest, I believe CARICOM's intervention is needed to put our cricket back on track in terms of equity and good sense. West Indies cricket is far too important to the region to allow people, who are seemingly blinded by their own self-importance, to damage and destroy it if they so wish.

In the past, I have taken some of our cricketers to task for not measuring up to my expectations in terms of performances. However, after listening to the likes of Gayle, Chanderpaul and Jerome Taylor explaining the type of treatment they have been exposed to, it would appear that the real problem is the board and its reckless desire to destroy WIPA.

In light of all of the above and the fact that Gayle is a role model to so many of our aspiring young cricketers, I believe all stakeholders in Jamaica's cricket, including the Jamaica Cricket Association, former players and local fans, should make their voices heard in condemning these wanton and unprovoked attack on a man who is simply standing up for his rights.

Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com