Shaheen Afridi leaving LPL after complaint in anti-corruption unit?
COLOMBO – The Sri Lanka Premier League (LPL) has been engulfed in fresh controversy after Pakistan’s T20 captain. Shaheen Shah Afridi He reportedly contacted the tournament’s anti-corruption unit over his unexpected ejection from a match, raising concerns within the league camp.
The speedster was left fuming after it was reported that he would not feature as a regular player for the Kandy Royals against the Colombo Capitals. The incident reportedly escalated to such an extent that Shaheen considered quitting the tournament and returning to Pakistan.
Franchise officials and LPL officials later stepped in, apologized for the situation, and managed to convince the Pakistan captain to remain a part of the competition. The controversy erupted when the Candy Royals management allegedly informed Shaheen before the match that he would be used as an “impact player”, a rule borrowed from the Indian Premier League (IPL), which allows teams to replace a player with a designated substitute during a game.
But during the Candy Royals innings, the team’s coach reportedly admitted that Shaheen’s name was not included in the official impact player list submitted for the match as a result of an error by the team’s analyst.
The mistake led to the frustration of the Pakistan fast bowler, who questioned the situation and informed the Anti-Corruption Unit official about the matter. Sources claim that Shaheen then decided to leave for Pakistan before the match officials, team management and league officials intervened.
The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the LPL, which is facing turmoil even before the tournament begins. Reports revealed that Jaffna Kings owner Manjot Karla was arrested by Sri Lanka’s Special Investigation Unit for alleged match-fixing after which the organizers took back ownership of the franchise and Sri Lanka Cricket along with the league management took control of the team’s affairs.
Afridi has been one of the main international names of the tournament. In his opening game, the left-arm fast bowler took one wicket and conceded 41 runs. He then took two wickets for 34 runs in the second match and one wicket for 32 runs in the third match.
However, the latest match saw him missing from the playing XI, raising questions over the unusual mix-up of the team sheet.
Several other Pakistani players are also involved in the LPL, including Muhammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Muhammad Wasim Jr., and Aqib Javed, while Pakistani umpire Asif Yaqoob is also officiating in the tournament.
Amid the online buzz, an LPL spokesperson sought to clarify the situation, saying Shaheen Afridi’s incident was caused by an incorrect team sheet submitted to the match referee, calling it an administrative error rather than a deliberate act.
Shaheen Afridi will join Kandy Royals for the Lankan Premier League.
The post Shaheen Afridi leaving LPL after complaint in anti-corruption unit? appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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