Dear Editor,

While the sexual harassment/gender aspects of the Chris Gayle controversy are being ventilated it may be appropriate, in the light of your recent editorial about the future of West Indies cricket, to consider the purely ‘cricketing’ aspect of his behaviour.

Gayle has been an international cricketer for almost 20 years, travelling the world and sampling many cultures. Yet it’s clear that he genuinely did not know his responses to the female reporter were inappropriate.

In considering the “cricketing” aspect of this incident, let us connect it to an earlier 2009 one which readers may feel has no connection. I assert that the two are directly connected.

In the other incident, when Gayle toured Australia as captain and opener 2009-10, he was asked before the second Test — by a male reporter this time — what he thought of the new Australian speed merchant, Doug Bollinger, who he was to face next day. This time Gayle was speechless. He had no clue who Bollinger was. Of course, the next day, after Bollinger had dismissed him cheaply, the Aussie ran down the pitch, thumped his chest in Gayle’s face and proclaimed, “Now you know my name!”

One can safely extrapolate: Since the captain didn’t know anything about the bowler he was facing the next day, that neither the coach, manager, vice-captain nor anyone else had raised Bollinger’s name at any team meeting. No other international team, in any other sport, operates this way. No sport, least of all cricket, can be played successfully only from the shoulders down.

Michael Holding observed after yet another World Cup failure last year that West Indies did not play “intelligent” cricket. He was absolutely right. We have not done so for 20 years, which is why we are near the bottom of the pile.

Errol W A Townshend

Ontario, Canada

ewat@rogers.com