WICB finally knows the value of IPL's most valuable player, Gayle included in Windies ODI squad

Indian Premier League most valuable batsman and winner of the Orange Cap in the last two editions, has been finally included in the West Indies squad. West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has recalled beleaguered opener Chris Gayle into its One-Day squad, marking an end to their 14-month long stand-off. Gayle was pushed out of the team by the WICB even since he criticised the Board’s policies in a radio interview. He will feature in a three-match ODI series against England, starting June 16. A high-level meeting on Sunday involving the talismanic left-hander, two regional prime ministers and officials from the WICB finally broke the ice, says a report in The Times Of India.

Meanwhile Pakistan's shamed pacer Mohammad Asif, who served a jail sentence after being found guilty of spot-fixing, has dismissed speculation that he intended to apply for political asylum in the United Kingdom, says a report in The Indian Express.

“I am training hard and regularly to keep myself fit and I am also preparing to file appeals against my convictions in the spot fixing case,' Asif told 'Geo News'.

Asif was released from a prison in Canterbury last month after completing a 12-month jail sentence in the spot-fixing case. He has preferred to remain in London and said he was been helping his legal team to finalise his appeal against his two convictions at the Southwark Crown Court that relate to spot-fixing allegations.

Asif said he still wished to clear his name in the whole scandal. “I am training regularly these days. I spend a lot of time speaking to my family on the phone and over the internet.

Meanwhile a news report in Hindustan Times says that Cricket Australia (CA) has interviewed former Pakistan captain and coach Waqar Younis as Craig McDermott's successor for the position of Australian bowling coach. Waqar, who is based in Sydney since finishing his two-year term as Pakistan coach last year, has spoken to CA’s team performance manager Pat Howard about taking on the role.

According to a report in Hindustan Times V Jayadevan, who sought replacement of the controversial Duckworth/Lewis method with his own system in limited-over cricket, has approached the ICC president Sharad Pawar for a neutral review of his method. Alleging bias, Jayadevan said one of the experts in the ICC Cricket Committee behaved like a D/L method spokesperson.