PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Outspoken Trinidad and Tobago Sports Minister Anil Roberts has asked the West Indies Cricket Board to reconsider their decision to rule off-spinner Sunil Narine ineligible for selection for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.

Narine opted to stay behind in India to represent Kolkata Knight Riders in yesterday's Indian Premier League final against Kings XI Punjab, instead of returning to join the ongoing West Indies camp by the stipulated June 1st deadline.

The WICB announced Friday that Narine's decision would rule him out of consideration for the three-Test series that bowls off on June 8th at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

However, in a lengthy official letter to WICB President Dave Cameron, Roberts argued that Narine's unavailability for the bulk of the ongoing preparation camp should not make him ineligible for selection.

country first policy

He said that while he understood and agreed with the 'country first policy', Narine's inclusion in no way compromised this principle.

"I put it to you today that allowing Sunil Narine to participate in the final of the IPL on June as a West Indian, as a 'Trinbagonian', as an ambassador of Caribbean brilliance and then ensuring that he arrives at the West Indian training camp post-haste does not, will not, and cannot breach any of the tenets of your "country first policy," Roberts wrote.

"In fact, this addendum to the policy which may serve Sunil Narine today, will serve Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Lendl Simmons, Krishmar Santokie and any other great West Indies Cricketer in the future."

He added: "Mr Narine is not on holiday with his family, he is not shopping, and he is not viewing the NBA Playoffs. He is plying his professional trade in what stands as the epitome of international quality cricket in the world today.

"He is plying that trade not for himself, but for the people of the Caribbean who will turn on their TV sets and tune in with 1.3 billion people across the globe to support the West Indian Sunil Narine."

Roberts, a former Olympic swimming coach, said the fact Narine was participating in such a game of the magnitude of the IPL final, was in itself the ultimate preparation.