Mohammad Hafeez, Lendl Simmons join the LPL

Brendan Taylor 

Mohammad Hafeez, Lendl Simmons, Kyle Abbott, Duanne Olivier, Brendan Taylor and Johnson Charles are among the new overseas recruitments who will figure in the upcoming Lanka Premier

Lendl Simmons

Mohammad Hafeez

League (LPL), which commences at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Sooriyawewa on 26 November.

One of Pakistan’s most experienced all-rounders Mohammed Hafeez has been picked by Colombo Kings to replace former South African captain Faf du Plessis, who is unavailable as he will be involved in the international series against England. Hafeez at 40, will be the oldest cricketer to appear in the LPL.

Colombo has also found a replacement for Indian wicket-keeper/batsman Manvinder Bisla, with West Indies top order bat and wicket-keeper Johnson Charles, who was part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup winning teams of 2012 and 2016.

Colombo’s sixth overseas player will be Qais Ahmed, the 20-year-old leg-spinner from Afghanistan.

T20 specialist Lendl Simmons of West Indies replaces Carlos Brathwaite in the Dambulla Lions team. Their two other overseas players are Zimbabwe wicket-keeper/batsman Brendan Taylor and former Indian fast bowler Sudeep Tyagi.

Jaffna Stallions have included Proteas fast bowlers Duanne Olivier and Kyle Abbott to make up their quota of six overseas players, while Kandy Tuskers have included former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan and Afghanistan’s 18-year-old wicket-keeper/batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Galle Gladiators are the only team who has not filled their quota of six overseas players. They have yet to find a replacement for South African all-rounder Colin Ingram. (ST)

OVERSEAS PLAYERS FOR EACH LPL TEAM

Dambulla Lions (6): Lendl Simmons (WI), David Miller (SA), Sudeep Tyagi (Ind), Samith Patel (Eng), Brendan Taylor (Zim), Paul Stirling (Ire).

Galle Gladiators (5): Shahid Afridi (Pak), Hazratullah Zazai (Afg), Mohammed Amir (Pak), Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak), Azam Khan (Pak).

Kandy Tuskers (6): Chris Gayle (WI), Irfan Pathan (Ind), Liam Plunkett (Eng), Wahab Riaz (Pak), Naveen-ul-Haq (Afg), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afg).

Colombo Kings (6): Mohammed Hafeez (Pak), Andre Russell (WI), Manpreet Singh Gony (Ind), Johnson Charles (WI), Ravinderpal Singh (Can), Qais Ahmed (Afg).

Jaffna Stallions (6): Dawid Malan (Eng), Shoaib Malik (Pak), Usman Shinwari (Afg), Asif Ali (Pak), Kyle Abbott (SA), Duanne Oliver (SA).