B
Gayle

RIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Regional umpires' association president Hartley Reid wants the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to take action against the Jamaica and West Indies captain Chris Gayle for his outburst against the umpiring in last weekend's Carib Beer Series match between Jamaica and Barbados.

Gayle said bad decisions against his Jamaica team were "blatant" and described the umpiring in the game as "terrible for sports" after they lost a crucial match by 17 runs at Kensington Oval.

But Reid, head of the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA), says Gayle's comments are punishable by the laws of cricket and he should face consequences.

"It is written clearly that players and officials may not be critical of the umpires, the match referee, nothing like that, but Gayle does as he likes," Reid said on CMC's Prime Time Caribbean television news show Thursday night. "I am hoping that the West Indies Cricket Board does something with him."

Gayle was distraught after the Jamaicans lost a close match to Barbados by 17 runs and criticised umpiring decisions that went against them.

Dalton Holder of Barbados and Terence Birbal of Trinidad and Tobago were the two umpires that stood in the top-of-the-table, fifth-round match contested at Kensington Oval and Gayle felt their performance was less than satisfactory.

Gayle mentioned Holder's performance as being "terrible".

"Holder was really, really terrible and it can't continue like this," said Gayle, who was appointed last week as West Indies captain for the forthcoming Digicel Home Series against Sri Lanka.

But Reid said Gayle was out of line in his comments, especially naming an official in his charge against the umpiring.

"Umpires are not infallible, they make errors. It's unfortunate if an umpire makes a mistake, hard luck but you play. He actually called Dalton Holder's name. That is another issue so we are waiting to see what the West Indies board is going to do with their captain," Reid said.