The WICB said Tuesday it was censuring Gayle for his "totally unacceptable" conduct in criticising the handling of his selection as one-day international captain and the late arrival of players for warm-up games ahead of the upcoming series with England.

Although he remains captain, a WICB statement warned they would "pursue this matter at the end of the tour" and would take "drastic and immediate" action if Gayle, who met with board president Kenneth Gordon in London on Monday, stepped out of line again during the England tour.

However, Ramnarine, chief executive of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA), said Gayle had, as required, submitted his article to Findlay, who edited and approved it.

"It seems difficult to understand why Gordon and Findlay would ... demand an apology for comments approved by Findlay," Ramnarine was quoted as saying by CricInfo.

Gayle, 27, angered officials by writing: "First and foremost I am very disappointed with the West Indies Cricket Board for not having the guys here in England already and ready to play.

"As the captain I have to say this is disappointing and it is not at all a good start.

"I also have to mention that I was hurt and disappointed that after I was nominated as captain by the selectors, I did not initially get the support of the board," added Gayle who took over the captaincy from stand-in Test skipper Daren Ganga, appointed after Ramnaresh Sarwan's tour-ending shoulder injury.

The board responded by saying: "Mr Gayle was requested to issue a public apology to the WICB for his unfortunate and ill-advised statement.

"He subsequently advised the president and team manager that he was not prepared to apologise.

"In the circumstances, the WICB has issued a very strongly-worded letter of reprimand to Mr Gayle advising him that his conduct is totally unacceptable and that the WICB will pursue this matter at the end of the tour."

Gayle, amidst the controversy, scored 73 in West Indies' 56-run Twenty20 win against the Professional Cricketers' Association Masters at Arundel on Tuesday.

West Indies, who recently lost their four-match Test series against England 3-0, play back-to-back Twenty20 matches at The Oval starting on Thursday before taking on their hosts in three one-day internationals.

Arguably even more embarrassing than the Test series reverse was Sunday's 51-run Twenty20 defeat against struggling county Derbyshire.

It was a far cry from the 1980s when West Indies were the dominant force in world cricket.

The state of disarray within the Caribbean game had previously been exposed when West Indies had to call-up five players from English league clubs and universities to make up the numbers against England A at Worcester after three of their 14-man one-day squad arrived too late for the game.

Rows between the board and the WIPA have become commonplace in recent years.

An arbitration panel last week found for the fifth time in as many hearings in favour of the players. They ruled the England tour fell outside the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Programme and therefore the players were entitled to additional payments.