Published 15:42 IST, May 16th 2020
Chris Gayle apologises for calling Sarwan 'worse than coronavirus', escapes punishment
Chris Gayle admitted that his remarks on Sarwan may be viewed as being damaging to Cricket West Indies and to the CPL as a brand overall.
West Indies explosive opener Chris Gayle has apologized for the derogatory comments that he recently made about his former teammate Ramnaresh Sarwan. In a YouTube video, Chris Gayle had shockingly mentioned that Ramnaresh Sarwan is 'worse than coronavirus right now'. He added that in what transpired with the Tallawahs, Ramnaresh Sarwan had a big part to play in turning the owners against him. The T20 veteran was furious and said that Sarwan is a snake, who always backstabs players and teammates for his selfish interests.
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Chris Gayle apologizes for making derogatory remarks on Ramnaresh Sarwan
In an official statement released on the CPL website on Friday, Chris Gayle said that he had posted three videos on his personal YouTube channel, where he addressed the reasons for his departure from the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise ahead of the 2020 CPL tournament. Chris Gayle added that he made these videos with one single intention i.e. to explain the reasons behind his departure from the Tallawahs franchise to its fans. Chris Gayle admitted that it is his greatest wish to finish his CPL career in Jamaica, playing in front of his home crowd at Sabina Park.
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Chris Gayle said that he stands by his comments in those videos. He added that his words were spoken from the heart. However, Chris Gayle admitted that such remarks may be viewed as being damaging to Cricket West Indies and to the CPL as a brand. Chris Gayle further said that it was never his intention to damage the T20 tournament's reputation, as playing in the CPL has guaranteed an opportunity for the past seven years to play in front of the great fans of the Caribbean. He also said that playing in CPL is a privilege which he genuinely appreciates and has never taken for granted.
The West Indies star batsman, who was released by Jamaica Tallawahs, will now play for St. Lucia Zouks instead, which is owned by Kings XI Punjab's owners KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, in the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season.
IMAGE COURTESY: BCCI
Updated 15:42 IST, May 16th 2020