BASSETERRE: West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle said that he had 'no respect' for Curtly Ambrose after the former legendary fast bowler said that the batter shouldn't be an automatic pick in the starting XI for the team in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which begins on Sunday.
"I am speaking about Curtly Ambrose. I am singling out Curtly Ambrose, one of your own. I highly respected him when I came into the West Indies team," Gayle told The Island Tea Morning Show, a radio station in St Kitts, on Tuesday.
"When I just joined the team, I looked up to this man. But I am now speaking from my heart. I don't know what, since he retired, what he had against Chris Gayle. I can tell you personally, and you can let him know that Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss, have no respect for Curtly Ambrose whatsoever," he added.
Gayle, who was part of the 2012 and 2016 World Cup-winning teams, added that if former West Indies players "continue to be negative" and not support the team, then the 'Universe Boss is going to be disrespectful, disrespectful verbally in their face".
"I am finished with Curtly Ambrose," Gayle said. "I have no respect, any time I see him I will tell him as well -- 'Stop being negative, support the team ahead of the World Cup.' This team has been selected and we need past players to support us.
Earlier, Curtly Ambrose had stated that Gayle is definitely not an automatic choice for the West Indies team in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Since the start of 2021, Gayle has accumulated just 227 runs in 16 T20Is, averaging 17.46 with a single fifty to his name.
