Gayle's Mother Serious

West Indies has got its tour of Australia off to a disastrous start with captain Chris Gayle flying home to be at his mother's bedside and his batsmen immediately faltering in his absence.

The swashbuckling opener withdrew from the tour match against Queensland, which began at Allan Border Field on Wednesday, just an hour before the toss when news filtered through his mother was gravely ill and admitted to hospital in Jamaica.