WICB Sets 'Chris Gayle Rule'

On the heels of the controversial Chris Gayle issue just before the finals of the Carib Beer that caused a rethink of its eligibility rule, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has reworked the rule to mandate that players receive "written approval" for absences.

The board said the rule was reworded "to make it absolutely clear that players must be available for all matches in the regional domestic competition immediately preceding or concurrent with the selection for the particular tour or home series.

The reworded rule now reads:

"No player shall be eligible for selection to the West Indies team unless he has made himself available for selection to his national team for all matches in the regional domestic competition which immediately precedes or is concurrent with the selection of the West Indies team for the tour or home series which immediately follows such domestic competition.

"No player shall absent himself from any such match unless he has the prior written approval of the West Indies Cricket Board.

"A selected player will lose his place on the West Indies team, if, after his selection, but prior to the conclusion of the regional domestic competition, he (without prior written approval of the West Indies Cricket Board) makes himself unavailable for the remaining match(es) of his national team."