West Indies' cricketer Chris Gayle, front, performs as teammates watch after their win over Sri Lanka in the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final match in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. West Indies' won by 36 runs. - AP

As cricket fans across the entire Caribbean continue to revel in the much-appreciated success of the West Indies team in the just concluded 2012 World Twenty20 championship, in Sri Lanka, I believe it is not only a time for celebration, but also a time for sober reflection>

Had it not been for the input of Jamaica's prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, who basically forced the hands of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in getting star batsman Chris Gayle, who was exiled for over a year, back into the team, I am not sure we would be here celebrating today.

While it could be argued, without any serious objections, that the West Indies team is not a 'one-man band', there is absolutely no question that Gayle is the heart and soul of the team, the man other members of the team draw inspiration from, especially when the going is tough.

Coveted title

As I watched Gayle dance and prance, in celebration, after the team crushed the Sri Lankans in the final, to lift the coveted title, I could not help but reflect on men like Professor Hilliary Beckles and former West Indies CEO Ernest Hilaire, who, I believe, must have felt like being punched in the gut as the big Jamaican danced up a storm.

The victory must have been particularly sweet for Gayle, who basically gave up over a year of international cricket in standing up for his rights, which, in my opinion, were being abused by the West Indies Board. The fact that he has returned and is displaying such commitment to the region's cricket, must also be a slap in the face to those who were saying he only cared about IPL money.

When one looks at some of the defeats the West Indies team suffered while Gayle was unjustifiably and unceremoniously taken off the front line, one can't help but wonder how different things could have been if those who kept him out had chosen to act sensibly instead of seeking to massage their super-big egos.

Now that we have seen the back of the contentious Hilaire, who is no longer the CEO of West Indies cricket, I hope the Caribbean people, especially the CARICOM leaders, will make it their prerogative not to allow the board or any individual board member to seek to overshadow the region.

Lovers of the game

My hope going forward is that the West Indies board, minus Hilaire, will seek to develop a workable relationship with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) so that we will see an end to the type of acrimony, which had relegated our beloved cricket to a big joke, making it a source of embarrassment to true lovers of the game.

Already, I am seeing signs that better things could be on the horizon. It was indeed a breath of fresh air to hear the new CEO Michael Muirhead apologising to WIPA about untrue comments that were made in the arbitration issue involving former middle order batsman Ramneresh Sarwan.

I strongly believe West Indies Cricket is poised to take off in a way that we have not seen since the Clive Lloyd/Vivian Richards era. We have world-class players in the likes of Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo; and with others like Johnson Charles, Daren Bravo and Andre Russell showing enough promise to inspire confidence, I believe the future is quite bright.

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