New Chairman of the West Indies selection panel, Clive Lloyd, believes loyalty should be the order of the day as players contemplate whether to represent the West Indies against England or play the Indian Premier League (IPL) next April.
The West Indies, currently ranked eighth in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings, are scheduled to face the world number three England in a three-match Test series beginning on April 9 and ending in May 2015.
The matches, however, are set to clash with the ICC-approved IPL, which is held between April and June each year.
“What we are saying is that anytime we have our cricket we would like you to be here. You must play in our cricket. And hope the players take it as is on board,” said Lloyd.
“What we are asking the players to do (ahead of the England series) is to show loyalty and that West Indies cricket comes first. I know some people may not like how that sounds, but our cricket had got to be first,” he said.
The IPL, arguably the most “attractive cricket domestic tournament in the world and attracts several of the West Indies leading cricketers on yearly.
Explosive opener Chris Gayle, mystery spinner Sunil Narine, stylish batsman Marlon Samuels and influential all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, head the list of players.
It is likely that these players will be asked to largely forego their 2015 IPL ambitions.
