Chris Gayle is hopeful West Indies’ tour to South Africa will go ahead despite the pay dispute between the players and the national cricket board.

West Indies cut short their tour to India last month, refusing to play the last of the five-match One-Day International series, a Twenty20 match and three Tests over a cash row between players and officials.

There have been fears in South Africa that West Indies would not tour this December, or that officials would have to send a second-string side shorn of crowd-pullers like Gayle.

‘Hopefully the dispute can be resolved and we will play against South Africa,’ said Gayle, who helped the Highveld Lions win a Ram Slam T20 Challenge first-round match at the Wanderers on Sunday.

‘The current situation between players and officials in the West Indies is unfortunate, but these disputes do happen occasionally. Talks are taking place to try and resolve the issue and I would love the South Africa tour to go ahead.’

West Indies are scheduled to play three Tests, three T20Is and five ODIs during December and January in the only tour to be hosted by South Africa before the World Cup.