My contract was not renewed because of Guyana’s politics – Int’l Cricketer Chris Gayle
International cricketing superstar, Chris Gayle, unleashed a barrage of allegations concerning the decision by the Hero CPL franchise team, the Jamaica Tallawahs, including the claim his fate was linked to Guyana’s politics.
In a three-part video, released on his Youtube channel titled “Chris Gayle’s Breakdown of Release from Jamaica Tallawahs”, Gayle attacked Tallawah’s CEO Jeff Miller and former West Indies teammate Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan of being involved in influencing the decision to release him from the CPL team.
In Part One of the video, Gayle alleges that Miller was less than forthright with him on the conditions of the renewal of his contract with the franchise team, releasing him without informing him that he was no longer on the player listing. Gayle then makes the claim that the real reason that he was released from the team stemmed from an incident last year related to Guyana’s politics.
“Let me tell you why,” Gayle says, “the Tallawahs didn’t really retain me now. This is all politics right now. I am not a politics person. Never been in politics. I am not a part of politics and I don’t support politics… This is all politics and this is personal as well. I’ll tell you why. This is all coming from one visit in Guyana. Apparently Guyana had their election and one visit, the minister of the country invite me to his community and I made a visit to his community and the other side, which the owner is part of as well, get offended and they all take it personal, so that is how it actually started.”
Last October, a controversy arose over Gayle’s visit to Linden in the company of former Minister of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, during a PNCR rally. Gayle was at the time in the country representing the Tallawahs against the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Pictures of the visit started a social media storm in which the player was accused of in effect endorsing the major coalition partner in the lead up to the 2020 election. Gayle in response would release a statement that read in part:
“I, Christopher Gayle, would like to make it very clear that I in no way, manner or form endorse or support any individual or political party in Guyana. I have noted the many Social Media comments in relation to my recent presence in Linden and I wish to set the record. I was invited to Linden to participate in a community outreach. As a sports personality, I relish the opportunity to meet with my fans and also to reach out to any community under the neutral banner of sports.”
Shortly after, a recording was released of PPP General-Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, in an expletive-filled tirade against Gayle saying that the star cricketer was now in his ‘f#4ing bad books.” In January of this year, PPP member Charles Ramson, Jr. made the claim that Gayle was paid for his appearance at the rally, with Gayle responding ordering Ramson to retract his statement through attorney Roysdale Forde, a candidate on the coalition list in the 2020 elections.
In the video, Gayle says that he has known both sides for years.
“I’ve had dinner with the other party,” he said, “Everyone take photos, they put it up on their Facebook. I’ve known everyone for years.”
The cricketer had high praise for Tallawahs franchise owner Chris Persaud, saying that the businessman was a good man, but said that someone had to be influencing him to drop Gayle from the team.
“This decision,” said Gayle, “wasn’t from the owner, Chris Persaud, I can tell you that. Other people were in his ears. You might come and say, ‘Hey, it has nothing to do with the politics’, but it was a big thing in Guyana.”
In Part Two, a visibly upset Gayle details a long friendship with Sarwan, one that he indicated was officially over. He alleges that the former cricketer betrayed their 25-year friendship in his alleged influence on the management of the team.
“We no friends, alright. You stay on your side, I stay on my side. We social distancing, not by six feet – we doing it couple miles.”
In Part Three of the video, Gayle expands on the role other persons played in his departure from the team. Last week, it was revealed that following his leaving the Tallawahs, he would be signing on with the St. Lucia Zouks.
