Windies board hits back at Gayle, Taylor

The West Indies Cricket Board has hit back at former captain Chris Gayle and pacer Jerome Taylor for claiming that the WICB did not check on their injuries, saying the two players left to play in the IPL without taking clearance from its appointed therapists.

Backing it's medical team on the treatment provided to the injured Jamaican duo, WICB pointed out that the two "unilaterally decided to resume playing before being given final clearance from WICB appointed therapists."

Gayle suffered an abdominal muscle strain during the World Cup while Taylor was ruled out of the tournament with a back injury, which the speedster sustained during the WICB's regional four-day tournament.

The hard-hitting left-hander, who is currently the star of Royal Challengers Bangalore's winning streak in the IPL, had claimed that the Board hadn't checked his rehabilitation after the World Cup.

He added that he was "stunned" at the omission from the national squad for the limited-overs series against Pakistan. Taylor, on the other hand, had said that WICB did not contact him about his back injury before he left to join Pune Warriors, and it only did so on April 7, once he had arrived in India.

In a media release issued on Wednesday, the WICB said it "is satisfied that its medical personnel acted with the highest levels of professionalism and integrity in the treatment and care offered to Chris and Jerome."

"Given the sensitive medical nature of injuries it is not the practice of the WICB to disclose details about player injuries and the management of same.

"However the public comments by the two players have left the WICB with no option but to address the issue in greater detail than has been done in the past," the release stated.

The Board also produced documents which outlined details of the correspondence and communications between the WICB's medical personnel and the respective players.

In case of Gayle, the board's time-line 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."

WICB also made public an exchange of messages between Gayle and West Indies team physio C J Clark about the batsman's fitness.

With regard to Taylor, the Board said, "Because of the recurrent nature of his injury, Jerome was requested to stay in Kingston for an extended period, but the bowler preferred to go to his personal physiotherapist.

"Jerome was asked to contact Dr Mansingh when he attends the physiotherapist in his home region to enable communication of injury history."

WICB revealed that, in early April, Dr Akshai Mansingh scheduled an assessment session but Taylor did not attend. They added that Taylor departed for India without completing his rehabilitation, medical assessment or approval.

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."