Friday Apr 19, 2024
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Monday, 5 December 2022 00:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Kusal Mendis
Pathum Nissanka
Wanindu Hasaranga
Carlos Brathwaite
James Neesham
Sikander Raza
Paul van Meekeren
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
The third edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is set to kick-off tomorrow at Hambantota with a star-studded cast that sees 42 Sri Lankan cricketers and 30 overseas players in action over a period of three weeks.
The Sri Lankan players include the 18 (sans Dushmantha Chameera and Danushka Gunathilaka) who took part in the recently concluded T20 World Cup in Australia plus former captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal and openers Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando, both of whom will mark their return to competitive cricket following injuries.
Perera and Fernando have recovered from surgery to the shoulder and knee respectively. Their progress in the LPL will be keenly followed by all cricket enthusiasts as their approach to the game fits the T20 mode perfectly. Chameera is recovering from an ankle operation and Gunathilaka is under detention in Australia facing charges of sexual assault.
After all what has been said and written about his behaviour during the T20 World Cup in Australia, focus will be on all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne and how well he will perform. He is currently under a one-year suspended ban from all forms of cricket imposed by Sri Lanka Cricket.
In the overseas section Pakistan has the largest representation with eight, six of them being signed up by last year’s losing finalist Galle Gladiators. West Indies and Afghanistan have six each, England five, New Zealand two, and Zimbabwe and Netherlands one each. Kandy Falcons (formerly Kandy Warriors) have to name a sixth overseas player. Dambulla are the other team to undergo a name change from Dambulla Giants to Aura Dambulla.
Of the overseas players, eight of them figured in the T20 World Cup in Australia namely Naveen-ul-Haq, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran (Afghanistan), Sikhander Raza (Zimbabwe), Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands), Haider Ali and Mohammad Hasnain (Pakistan), and James Neesham (New Zealand).
Fast bowler Paul van Meekeren finished as the fourth highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup with 11 wickets, while Sikander Raza was the leading all-rounder with 219 runs and 10 wickets. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran distinguished themselves in the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka helping Afghanistan to draw it one-all with good contributions with the bat.
THE SQUADS
SRI LANKA PLAYERS (9): Angelo Mathews, Charith Asalanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Dinesh Chandimal, Seekkuge Prasanna, Jeffrey Vandersay, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha.
OVERSEAS PLAYERS (6): Benny Howell (Eng), Romario Shepherd (WI), Dominic Drakes (WI), Ravi Bopara (Eng), Naveen-ul-Haq (Afg), Karim Janat (Afg)
LOCAL PLAYERS: Nishan Madushka, Muditha Lakshan, Lakshitha Manasinghe, Kevin Koththigoda, Chaturanga Kumara, Navod Paranavithana, Chamod Battage.
SRI LANKA PLAYERS (6): Dasun Shanaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lahiru Kumara, Ramesh Mendis, Chaturanga de Silva, Pramod Madushan.
OVERSEAS PLAYERS (6): Sikander Raza (Zim), Noor Ahmed (Afg), Tom Abell (Eng), Jordan Cox (Eng), Haider Ali (Pak), Paul van Meekeren (Neth).
LOCAL PLAYERS: Lasith Croospulle, Tharindu Ratnayake, Kalana Perera, Dilum Sudeera, Sachitha Jayathilake, Dushan Hemantha, Shevon Daniel, Ravindu Fernando, Lahiru Madushanka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe.
SRI LANKA PLAYERS (6): Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Thushara, Tharindu Kaushal.
OVERSEAS PLAYERS (6): Imad Wasim (Pak), Ifthikar Ahmed (Pak), Mohammad Hasnain (Pak), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Pak), Azam Khan (Pak), Anwar Ali (Pak).
LOCAL PLAYERS: Nuwanidu Fernando, Nimesh Vimukthi, Pulina Tharanga, Movin Subasinghe, Nipun Malinga, Sachindu Colombage, Lakshan Gamage, Sammu Ashan.
SRI LANKA PLAYERS (10): Thisara Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando, Dunith Wellalage, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dilshan Madushanka, Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando.
OVERSEAS PLAYERS (6): James Neesham (NZ), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Eng), Shoaib Malik (Pak), James Fuller (NZ), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afg), Waqar Salamkheil (Afg).
LOCAL PLAYERS: Suminda Lakshan, Nipun Dananjaya, Vijayakanth Vijaskanth, Theeshan Vithushan, Theivendiram Dinoshan, Ashan Randika.
SRI LANKA PLAYERS (11): Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Matheesha Pathirana, Ashen Bandara, Ashan Priyanjan, Minod Bhanuka, Kamindu Mendis, Malinda Pushpakumara, Janith Liyanage, Pathum Nissanka.
OVERSEAS PLAYERS (5): Carlos Brathwaite (WI), Fabian Allen (WI), Andre Fletcher (WI), Oshane Thomas (WI), Najibullah Zadran (Afg).
LOCAL PLAYERS: Avishka Perera, Ashian Daniel, Lasith Abeyratne, Kavin Bandara, Chamindu Wijesinghe.
