The Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Kandy Tuskers have signed former Indian cricketer Munaf Patel for the forthcoming debut season of the LPL. He will join his former teammate Irfan Pathan in representing the team.
Munaf Patel will be back in cricket after an excessively long hiatus. The 2011 World Cup winning team member hopes to bolster the pace bowling line-up of the team.
The franchise has also offered a contract to the West Indies topliner player Chris Gayle. The final word regarding his association with the team remains unclear.:
With the latest addition in the squad, the probable team of the Kandy Tuskers looks like this: Kusal Perera, Chris Gayle, Liam Plunkett, Wahab Riaz, Kusal Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Asela Gunaratne, Naveen-ul-Haq, Kamindu Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Priyamal Perera, Kavishka Anjula, Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Samarakoon, Nishan Madushka, Chamikara Edirisinghe, Ishan Jayaratne, Irfan Pathan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
The organizers are planning for the tournament to thrive amid the pandemic taking all the necessary precautions.
“The players and officials have to do two PCR tests, one on arrival at the airport and one at the hotel when they check-in. They will be quarantined for three days and on the third day once the results of the test is out they can do self-training and on the sixth day they have to do another test and if it is negative they can get onto the field and carry out training after the seventh day,” commented Ashley de Silva, the Sri Lanka Cricket CEO.
A total of five teams will be competing in the competition viz, Kandy Tuskers, Colombo Kings, Dambulla Viiking, Galle Gladiators, and Jaffna Stallions. The tournament will get underway on 26th November and the curtains will close on 16th December. Kandy Tuskers and Columbo Kings will play the inaugural match of the tournament.
