Gayle

The much-anticipated meeting between sidelined West Indies opener Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and members of the West Indies management and coaching staff is scheduled to be held today.

The meeting, which could determine the immediate and perhaps long-term future of Gayle, was requested by the WICB after the 31- year-old Gayle openly criticised the board and the team on a number of wide-ranging issues.

Top among these were allegations of indifferent attitudes by the WICB towards his recovery from an injury sustained at the ICC World Cup earlier in the year, the coaching style and methods of West Indies coach Otis Gibson, and the recent appointment of Darren Sammy as captain.

The WICB, after airing the interview, went on to release a number of documents on their website refuting several of Gayle's claims.

They then thereafter took the decision to bar Gayle from representing the regional team until a meeting was held between all relevant parties.

"The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow (today), and we look forward to it," said West Indies Players Association president, Dinanath Ramnarine, who is expected to play a role in the discussions.

The WICB will be led by president, Dr Julian Hunte, and chief executive officer, Ernest Hilaire, who along with members of the West Indies and Indian teams are slated to arrive in the country today, while the West Indies team will be represented by manager, Richie Richardson, and Gibson.

The decision to bar Gayle, who copped the coveted player of the tournament award during the recently held Indian Premier League, resulted in him missing the ongoing one-day international (ODI) series against India in which the West Indies currently trail 3-1.

The fifth and final match of the ODI series will be held at Sabina Park on Thursday.

The match will be followed by the first of three Tests, the first of which will be also be held at Sabina Park, beginning next Monday.