New Delhi: Veteran West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle on Tuesday opted out of the 2020 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), according to media reports.
Gayle's decision to do so comes just a day before the players' draft, which is scheduled to take place on June 24.
The tournament is currently scheduled to take place from August 18 to September 10, subject to approval from the government.
According to a leading cricket website report, Gayle opted out of the tournament citing personal reasons and he has reportedly already communicated his decision to the franchise.
It is understood that in his email Gayle pointed out that due to the lockdown, he has not been able to meet his family and his young child who are in St Kitts while he has been in Jamaica. Gayle said he needed a break and wanted to spend time with his young family.
Gayle was set to play for the St. Lucia Zouks this term, as he had signed for them in April as their marquee player.
Gayle has played for the Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the past. He has won the CPL title twice with the Tallawahs and played in the final with the Patriots in 2017.
The left-handed batsman is the leading T20 run scorer of all time as well as the man with the most centuries in the format. He is also the leading run-scorer in the history of CPL, having made 2,344 runs in the tournament.
