Chris Gayle, West Indies’ hard-hitting opening batsman and one of the greatest T20 players of all-time, has on Tuesday (June 23) pulled out of the forthcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL), a day before the players’ draft for the 2020 edition of the CPL.
The 40-year-old destructive opener has played for the Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots so far in the Caribbean league. The self-styled 'Universe Boss' has also won the CPL title twice with the Tallawahs while played in the final with the Patriots in 2017.
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He was due to play for the St. Lucia Zouks in the CPL 2020 – which is scheduled to take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 18 until September 10 subject to government clearance, after being released by the Jamaica Tallawahs team management ahead of the 2020 season.
The St. Lucia Zouks have signed Gayle, a franchise where his IPL team Kings XI Punjab holds a stake, as one of the marquee players outside the draft in the USD 130,000 - 160,000 price bracket in April.
Well, Gayle has decided to skip the CPL 2020 due to some personal reasons as a CPL spokesperson has confirmed the same in a statement on Tuesday.
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The statement reads: “We understand that Chris has decided to not take part in CPL personal reasons. We wish Chris all the best for the rest of 2020 and hope to see him back at CPL in 2021.”
Meanwhile, ESPNCricinfo reported: “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.”
Noteworthy, Gayle has played 103 Tests and 301 ODIs for the West Indies.
(With ESPNCricinfo/Sportskeeda Inputs)
