T20 World Cup: Chris Gayle says he has 'no respect' for Curtly Ambrose

• Jamaican cricketer lashes out at Ambrose, saying he is "finished" with him.
• Reaction came after Ambrose spoke about Gayle's recent lack of form going into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
• "I don't know what, since he retired, what he had against me," says Chris Gayle.

Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle lashed out at former West Indian fast bowler Curtly Ambrose saying he has “no respect” for the former player and he is “finished” with him, reported ESPNcricinfo.

In an interview to The Island Tea Morning Show — a radio station in St Kitts — the left-handed batsman said: "I am singling out Curtly Ambrose, one of your own. I highly respected him when I came into the West Indies team, but I am now speaking from my heart. I don't know what, since he retired, what he had against Chris Gayle.”

The star cricketer’s reaction came after Ambrose spoke to a radio talk show in Barbados about Gayle's recent lack of form going into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Citing his performance card, he said since the start of 2021, Gayle has accumulated just 227 runs in 16 T20Is, averaging 17.46 with a lone 50 to his name.

The opener had left the IPL bubble to stay fresh for the World Cup after playing just two matches — where he scored 1 and 14 — for the Punjab Kings in the UAE leg of the tournament.

Meanwhile in the Caribbean Premier League, the Jamaican cricketer had scored 165 runs at an average of 18.33 in nine matches for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Although Ambrose felt that if Gayle gets going, "he can still be destructive", he said the batter "hasn't done much in the last 18 months to convince me that he will set the World Cup alight."

"For me, Gayle is definitely not an automatic choice for starting," Ambrose said, adding, "When you look at his exploits over the last 18 months, he has struggled not only for the West Indies, but other T20 franchises. The few home series we played, he hasn't had any scores of significance."

However, rubbing all criticism, Gayle said: “Those negative things he [Ambrose] has been saying within the press, I don't know if he is looking for attention, but he is getting the attention. So I am just giving back the attention which he requires and which he needs.”

"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 reiterated.

"Stop being negative, support the team ahead of the World Cup," he said, adding that this team [West Indies] has been selected and "we need past players to support us." 

"We don't need negative energy. In other teams, their past players support their teams, why can't our own support us in a big tournament like this?” he questioned.