Gayle pulls out of Somerset, eyes return to WI squad

West Indian phenom Chris Gayle has backed out of his T20 contract with the English county side Somerset to put himself in the reckoning for a spot in the West Indian squad after more than a year.

The West Indian Cricket Board and Gayle were involved in a bitter rift since the left-hander lashed out at the board in a radio interview last April. Talks were on to soothe the situation but no real breakthrough had been achieved until now.

With the Jamaican easing up on his stance and opening himself for selection in all formats of the game, West Indian team may soon see the return of one of their most prolific run-getters. “I am not in to too much details but yes I have spoken to the selectors there (in West Indies),” said Gayle during an interaction here on Thursday.  
If selected, the southpaw will don his country’s colours in the upcoming tour of England (May 17-June 24). Gayle will, however, complete his assignment with Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers that could end on May 27 if the Bangalore side makes it to the final. As a result, he will miss out on the three-Test series but will be available for the three ODIs and the one-off T20.

“They (the West Indies Board) asked about my availability after the IPL and I explained that I am available for all forms of the game. So it is a situation in which I am waiting for the one-day side to be selected now. So let’s see what will happen now. I have explained to Somerset what has happened and told them that I am available for selection with the West Indies team. I had a tele-conference (with the WICB officials/ selectors) a day before.”

Gayle’s decision to not honour his contract with Somerset has drawn some flak, as the county team, which has now brought in Francois Du Plessis as Gayle’s replacement for the Friends Life T20 tournament, are also considering legal action against the West Indian.

Talking about his possible return to the Windies’ squad, Gayle said: “Well, we got to wait and see (if I get selected). I need to come back to the squad before I can answer this question.”