PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron has sidestepped the controversial absence of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from West Indies One-Day International squads ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka, media reports here have said.

Cameron stayed clear of attempting to explain why the door has been closed on the Trinidad and Tobago pair during the WICB’s final town hall meeting in the central borough of Chaguanas on Friday night, the Guardian reported.

The WICB president has, however, been quoted as telling the meeting that the decision to choose players was the responsibility of the selectors, without elaborating.

“It is sad to see the players giving up an opportunity to have a body represent them,” Cameron offered.

“This does not mean that those who I am hearing left cannot speak to the board.”

On Friday, West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons lashed out at what he termed “too much interference from outside”, as he explained the continued absence of Bravo and Pollard from the ODI side.

On Sunday, Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell described Simmons comments as “disturbing”, and joined with him in condemning “any act that undermined his leadership and the discretion of the Board of Selectors to field the best team”.

Bravo and Pollard have been overlooked since the West Indies tour of South Africa with critics claiming that they are being punished for their roles in the aborted tour of India last October.

West Indies selectors are yet to release the names of players on the ODI squad to play Sri Lanka next month.