Chris Gayle Pulls Out of Caribbean Premier League Citing Personal Reasons

Legendary West Indies opener Chris Gayle on Tuesday pulled out of this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), a day before the players’ draft for the competition, citing personal reasons. The 2020 edition of the CPL is scheduled to take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 18 until September 10 subject to government clearance.

The 40-year-old batsman has conveyed his decision to sit out of this year’s tournament to the franchise St Lucia Zouks. “It is understood that in his email Gayle pointed out that due to the lockdown, he has not been able to meet his family and his young child who are in St Kitts while he has been in Jamaica. Gayle said he needed a break and wanted to spend time with his young family,” ESPNCricinfo reported.

Gayle was signed by St. Lucia Zouks as one of the marquee players outside the draft in the USD 130,000 – 160,000 price bracket in April.

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He has played for the Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the past. He has won the CPL title twice with the Tallawahs and played in the final with the Patriots in 2017.

Last month, the self-styled ‘Universe Boss’ avoided sanction for his public criticism of Ramnaresh Sarwan and other Jamaica Tallawahs personnel.

He had called Sarwan “worse than coronavirus” in a video post, accusing the Guyanese of plotting his exit from CPL outfit Jamaica Tallawahs.

In May, the CPL committee decided not to constitute a tribunal after Gayle admitted that his comments were ‘damaging to the CPL Tournament and its brand’.

In his statement, Gayle had also observed: “It was my greatest wish to finish my CPL career in Jamaica – playing in front of my home crowd at Sabina Park with the franchise that I had previously led to two CPL titles.”

Gayle has played 103 Tests and 301 ODIs for the West Indies.