Gayle, Taylor resumed playing without medical clearance - WICB

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has reacted strongly to comments made by Chris Gayle and Jerome Taylor about the lack of communication from the board about their injury and rehabilitation prior to their departure to India to play in the IPL. The WICB stated, in a release, that both players "unilaterally decided to resume playing before being given final clearance from WICB appointed therapists."

Gayle, in an interview with KLAS Sports, a radio station in Jamaica, said the board hadn't checked on his rehabilitation after the World Cup - where he sustained an abdominal muscle strain - and that he was "stunned" when he found out he hadn't been picked for the limited-overs series against Pakistan. Taylor, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, had said the WICB did not contact him about his back injury before he left to play in the IPL, and it only did so on April 7, once he'd arrived in India.

In response, the WICB has released detailed timelines of the two players' rehabilitation and correspondence with the board. In the case of Gayle, the board's timeline notes that between April 17 and 18 this year: "Chris departs for India. Has not had required medical review, nor did he complete rehabilitation program and physiotherapy review as required, neither did he complete fitness testing prior to competition resumption." It also published an exchange of messages between Gayle and West Indies team physio CJ Clark about his fitness during the period March 24-April 8.

With regard to Taylor, the board claimed "he had not kept physiotherapy appointments for weeks prior to his deciding to resume playing." Its timeline notes that as per early April this year, "Jerome departs to India without completion of rehabilitation, medical assessment or approval" after missing a scheduled review with Dr. Akshai Mansingh, part of the WICB medical panel, who had been tracking his progress.

The board also reacted to criticism from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, saying "as a centrally contracted player the Board will address this matter through contractual provisions at the appropriate time."