by CHRIS GAYLE

IT WAS the proverbial much ado about nothing.

I had no doubt at all that Jamaican Chris Gayle would have been re-appointed captain of the West Indies team once he had given the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) the assurance about his long-term commitment to West Indies cricket in all forms of the game.

I wasn't a fly on the wall when Gayle met with the board to ratify his selection to lead the team to Australia, but I am sure that he had to satisfy his employers that he would be available for the long haul before they gave him his crown.

Of course, we are all aware of misgivings among some about re-appointing him as skipper, but I wonder whether that position was taken as a result of the impasse between the board and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over contractual disagreements or for statements credited to Gayle in the British Press about his likes and dislikes of the game and the burden of captaincy.

Maybe it was a bit of both because in the heat of the moment when tempers were flying and each side had their crusaders waving their respective flags, objectivity may have been clouded and the point that the sport was much bigger than the individual missed.

I think Gayle may have been deliberately targeted because it appears that he commands the respect of his players especially the senior ones who made themselves unavailable for the Bangladesh series.

Ironically, that is what may have turned the tide decisively in his favour for the captain's job because once they came back into the fold, it would have been hard to see anyone else getting the same respect if the majority of the current team had been moulded in the Jamaican's image.

The other leading candidate, Daren Ganga, would have had to take charge of a new team if he was to get the top post.

I think even he would realise that this was Gayle's team. Ganga has been known to stand up for the players and call a spade a spade. This, of course, doesn't make him perfect; but a captain without the support of his crew really has no ship.

These frequent battles will have their lead actors and support casts but at the end of it all, it's the entire region that is tainted by whatever negative action is taken by them.

By the same token, whatever success we reap, the entire region enjoys the benefits.

In short, let's move beyond the individuals and focus on what ends they are trying to achieve for the good of the game in the Caribbean.

Recent and not-so-recent duels between the WICB and WIPA may have given the distinct impression that they were heading towards the path of destruction.

Happily, common sense pulled them back from the brink of demise and there is a new golden opportunity to press ahead and make us proud again.

The leadership of West Indies cricket calls out for statesmanship. WICB president Julian Hunte, WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine and captain Chris Gayle will have to perform their roles in a manner that will enhance the game and not undermine it or bring it into further disrepute.They all have the capabilities. What they require is the will to work together for all West Indians.

Best of luck to all the parties concerned. I guess that includes all of us on and off the field.

Andi Thornhill is sports editor of the CBC. He can be reached at andithornhill@yahoo.com