West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has left the Jamaica Tallawahs for the St Lucia Zouks ahead of this year’s Caribbean Premier League.

Gayle was released by the Tallawahs for the 2020 edition of the CPL and will join former West Indies teammate Daren Sammy at the Zouks.

This year’s edition of the CPL is scheduled to start on 19 August and end on 26 September. Whether it is subjected to delays amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic remains in the balance.

‘This is great news for St Lucia Zouks and for me as a captain to have the “Universe Boss” on my side. Chris is one of the most successful T20 batsmen in the world and with his experience with our young openers, a lot can be learnt from Chris,’ said Sammy.

“I welcome him to the Zouks franchise. Chris will be in St Lucia and the fans will be happy that Jamaica has released him. I will have a motivated Chris looking to prove a point that he is one of the leading T20 batsmen in the world. I can’t wait for CPL 2020 and hopefully the coronavirus will be under control and we can have an exciting T20 tournament.’

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The hard-hitting Gayle played for the Jozi Stars in South Africa’s Mzansi Super League in 2018 and 2019.

Photo: Gallo Images