Chris Gayle, the most decorated batsman in T20 history , has claimed that he doesn’t gets respect, and is treated like a “burden”, whenever he goes through a thin spell of form in franchise cricket.

“Chris Gayle is always a burden if I don’t score runs, two, three, four times,” the 40-year-old said, mincing no words while bidding farewell to his stint at the Mzansi Super League. “It seems like that one particular individual is the burden for the team. And then you will hear bickering. I am not going to get respect. People don’t remember what you have done for them. I don’t get respect.”

Speaking at a post-match press conference before leaving midway through a tournament, where he managed just 101 runs in six games, Gayle said that the issue wasn’t specific to the South Africa-based league, but something he faces the world over.

As of F̶e̶b̶r̶u̶a̶r̶y̶, J̶u̶n̶e̶, August 2019, Gayle is still an active ODI cricketer. https://t.co/fb9Tj9WDKt

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 15, 2019

“And I am not talking about this franchise. I am talking generally. Even from players as well, I am talking. Players, management, head of management, board members. Chris Gayle never get no respect.

“Once Chris Gayle fails, it’s the end of his career, he is no good, he is the worst player and all these other things. I’ve generally overcome these things and I expect these things and I have lived with these things.”

Gayle, whose self-anointed tag of Universe Boss is backed by prolific T20 numbers, has been playing top-flight cricket for well over two decades. His stint with the Stars, however, ended with a whimper; Gayle departs with the Stars languishing at the bottom of the MSL points table, having hurtled to six losses in as many games, with a dismal net run-rate of -2.132.

5️⃣0️⃣ UP | Stars: 61-1

6 and that's a half-century.

Chris Gayle does it, he's just brought up a fifty ?.

What has been your standout moment from this knock?#MSLT20 #StarsVSpartans pic.twitter.com/85oKJdGqYs

— Mzansi Super League ? ?? ? (@MSL_T20) November 24, 2019

It’s in stark contrast to their showing last year, where they finished second in the group stage, and further went on to win the title. Gayle made a brief appearance last year too, featuring in only four of their 12 games.

On Sunday, November 24, the side recorded their sixth loss, dramatically slipping from 113-2 to 135 all out in pursuit of Tshwane Spartans’ target of 156. Gayle, who made 54 of his 101 tournament runs in the game, was one of only four Stars batsmen to manage double digits.

“It was bad, bad to watch,” Gayle said. “Everyone will be hurt from such a thing. I am hurt from a personal point of view. I really wanted to win. I thought this was the one but it wasn’t meant to be again.”