Chris Gayle (right) and Ramnaresh Sarwan in happier times.
An angry Chris Gayle has described Jamaica Tallawahs Assistant Coach Ramnaresh Sarwan as a snake and a backstabber in a series of videos in which he explains the reasons behind his move from the Jamaica Tallawahs to the St Lucia Zouks for the 2020 CPL season.
The Jamaica Talllawahs chose not to retain Gayle for the upcoming season, which facilitated the move to the Zouks where he will play under the leadership of former West Indies captain Darren Sammy if there is a 2020 season.
In the second of three videos posted on Youtube on Monday, Gayle said he believes politics was behind the decision not to retain him and thinks that Sarwan was partially to blame.
The global T20 star said he signed a three-year contract with the Tallawahs in 2019 because it was his intention to end his career wearing the Jamaican colours of the two-time CPL champions.
Gayle suggested that Sarwan, after failing to get his support to be team manager, turned the owner of the franchise against him. That situation along with some Guyanese politics resulted in the Tallawahs’ decision not to retain him for the upcoming season.
“Sarwan, you are worse than the coronavirus right now. What transpired with the Tallawahs, you have a big part to play because you and the owner are like this,” he said crossing his fingers. “You were the one at my last birthday party here in Jamaica on the platform giving big speech [about] how far we coming from.
“Sarwan, you are a snake. You are so vindictive. You are so immature. You still stabbing people in the back. You’re still carrying news. When are you planning to change?”
Gayle then sent a clear message that whatever relationship there was between the two of them, was over.
“Don’t even consider seeing the Universe Boss and saying ‘Yow Chris’ because I am telling you this straight up, that’s it.”
Gayle said this backstabbing behaviour from Sarwan was nothing new. Back in 1996, he and Sarwan were roommates when they were playing youth cricket in Barbados.
Sarwan, he said, told Gus Logie and Easton McMorris that he was unable to sleep because he (Gayle) was watching television too late in the night. That accusation, Gayle said, convinced the team management to send him home.
This time, however, the stakes were different.
Sarwan, Gayle said, wanted to take control of the Jamaica Tallawahs. He wanted to be head coach and manager and was prepared to do whatever was necessary to achieve his goals.
In 2017, Gayle had departed the Tallawahs for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots where he spent a couple of seasons. However, he said, he became aware of the dysfunction that was taking place within the team once Sarwan arrived as an assistant coach, a year later.
Gayle went on to explain that when he returned to the Tallawahs in 2019, Sarwan was telling him that he was going to be the head coach and Donovan Miller was going to be his assistant. “I told Sarwan directly that ‘Sarwan, you have no experience being a head coach. It is not an easy job.”