Fans in the Caribbean will be able to see mystery spinner Sunil Narine twirl his magic against New Zealand in the current Test series as a compromise has been struck between the Trinidadian and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Narine stayed on to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) finals for eventual 2014 winners Kolkata Knight Riders and missed the deadline to attend a camp in preparation for the current series.
The West Indies operations management team had set June 1 as the deadline for all players to show and Narine, as a result of missing this deadline, was ruled ineligible to play in the current three-Test series. However, T&T Guardian understands that negotiations will be ongoing between the player and the board and it has been agreed that he will sit out the first two matches and will be available for selection for the third and final Test in Barbados which starts on June 26.
No clear reason has been given for the decision but it is understood that the operations management team communicated to the WICB that they had a change of heart. The decision by the management committee which was ratified by the WICB led to debates around the region with most pointing to the fact that although there was this new policy in place called ‘Country First’, the punishment was too harsh.