Snubbed by the IPL for the past three seasons, top Pakistani cricketers including ODI skipper Shahid Afridi, are set to prove their worth at the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) later this year.
Published: May 11, 2011, 03:49 PM (IST)
Edited: May 11, 2011, 03:49 PM (IST)
Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, recently retired Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Umar Akmal will feature in the SLPL. © Getty Images
Karachi: May 11, 2011
Snubbed by the IPL for the past three seasons, top Pakistani cricketers including ODI skipper Shahid Afridi, are set to prove their worth at the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) later this year.
Afridi has already accepted an offer to lead one of the franchises in the SLPL for a sum of USD 35,000 for the inaugural season. The Pakistan captain revealed that he has agreed on a three-year contract and that his current amount will double in 2012.
“I’ve accepted an offer to be captain of one of the team in the Sri Lankan Premier League. It’s a good opportunity and I will try to make the most of it,” Afridi said. Besides the SLPL, the flamboyant Pakistani all-rounder said he has also received an offer to play as captain in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Apart from Afridi, other Pakistani players to have signed a contract with the SLPL include Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, retired fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Umar Akmal.
“There is a comfortable window for us to feature in the league in Sri Lanka. We have a sufficient break from international cricket this summer,” Afridi said.
Afridi, who is expected to play for Hampshire in the Friends Provident T20, will fly to Sri Lanka from England. “There is a two-week break from the Hampshire assignment and I will use it to play in Sri Lanka,” Afridi was quoted as saying by The News.
Ignored by the Indian Premier League franchises for the past three seasons, some of the Pakistan cricketers did feature in the inaugural edition of the lucrative league in 2008.
The SLPL will span over 18 days with seven teams featuring in the inter-provincial competition. Pakistani players aside, the tournament will also see other international stars such as West Indies’ Chris Gayle, and Kieron Pollard, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand, Aussie Daniel Christian, former South Africa opener Herschelle Gibbs and Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien.
© PTI
