The Master Blaster, Sir Vivian Richards is siding with Sir Curtly Ambrose in the latter’s public spat with the Universe Boss Chris Gayle.

Gayle, this week, lashed out at the fast-bowling great, who said Gayle is not an automatic choice for selection in the West Indies team that will begin the defence of their ICC World T20 title on October 23 against England in Dubai.

Ambrose, speaking on Mason and Guest in Barbados, said Gayle has not had the best of form in a long time and would not walk into a team he would select.

“No, he (Gayle) is not an automatic choice for me. The few home series just played, he had no scores of significance, and I have said before that if he did not do well in those home series, he should not go to the World Cup,” Ambrose said.

“However, he will be at the World Cup, but for me, he is definitely not an automatic choice for starting… If he gets it going on the day, he can be destructive, but he has not done much in the last 18 months or so to really make me think he will set the World Cup alight.”

Gayle reacted angrily saying: “I highly respected him (Ambrose) when I came into the West Indies team. When I just joined the team, I looked up to this man. But I am now speaking from my heart. I don’t know what, since he retired, what he had against Chris Gayle. Those negative things he 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.”

However, Richards, one of the greatest ever batsmen, said Ambrose has earned the right to speak.

“It's Curtly’s honest opinion and he’s entitled to that and he is just as much as an achiever as Chris Gayle at the highest level and you should have respect for that,” Richards said.

“So when you hear it’s coming from an individual who would have also been an achiever and being a legend in the department of the sport we would have represented, you must have respect for that too. He is entitled to a voice as well.
He called on Gayle to prove his doubters wrong when the World Cup begins.

“If I was Chris, the best positive way I could look at it would be to set my mind on what I would like to accomplish because it is just not Curtly because there are so many folks who would have had their criticisms about Chris being in the team,” said Richards.

“Prove people wrong and when you do that, that is what proper professionalism is all about.”