Irfan Pathan set to be biggest attraction in Sri Lanka Premier League: Report

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan could be back in action after reports emerged that the cricketer has shown interest in playing in the Sri Lanka Premier League 2020. Pathan had called time on his cricket career earlier this year ending his two-decade association with the sport at the highest level. 

Irfan Pathan played 24 T20I matches for India in which he picked up 28 wickets. Pathan was also the part of the Indian team which won the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. Coming to his IPL career, Pathan has played a total of 177 T20s, while representing the likes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rising Pune Supergiants, Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

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Irfan Pathan could feature in Sri Lanka Premier League 2020

Irfan Pathan was last seen in action for India Legends during the Road Safety World Series back in March before COVID-19 brought the cricket season to a standstill. According to the report in Dailynews, along with Irfan Pathan, New Zealand star Martin Guptill has shown an interest in playing in the tournament.

Pathan's presence could be huge for the league, although it remains to be seen whether he can actually play due to international travel restrictions in India at the moment.

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A higher official from Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) while speaking to the publication has revealed that there are about 143 overseas players in the list who are very keen to play in this tournament and now it is up to the respective franchises to select these cricketers. 

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He further said that SLC has also asked the local clubs to nominate two players for this event and so there would be a total of 48 top domestic players from the 24 Premier Clubs who would be eligible to represent the four franchises. He also said that the SLC has a total 80 national players who are currently contracted with SLC and they will also be strong contenders to make it to the final squad.

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Sri Lanka Premier League 2020 to affect CPL 2020 and IPL 2020

The inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League 2020, which will be held from August 28 to September 20, 2020, is also likely to affect the Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2020), which is set to start next month in Trinidad. The CPL 2020 will begin on August 18 with the final scheduled for September 10 but the availability of Sri Lanka players is in serious doubt.

According to a report in InsideSport, Sri Lanka cricketers Dasun Shanaka, Avishka Fernando, Wanidu Hasaranga and Bhanuka Rajapaksa were among the players who had requested the cricket board for NOCs to play in the CPL 2020. Apart from the CPL 2020, the Sri Lanka Premier League 2020 is also likely to affect teams in the upcoming IPL 2020. after the BCCI moved the cash-rich league to UAE. The IPL 2020 is scheduled to start from September 19, however, the arrival of Lanka pacers Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana could be delayed.

Malinga was retained by Mumbai Indians, while Isuru Udana was roped in by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) during the IPL 2020 auction. The Mumbai Indians franchise is also likely to be hit by the initial absence of their head coach Mahela Jayawardene. Even though no official line-up has been confirmed yet by Sri Lanka Cricket yet, the former Sri Lankan captain is likely to coach one of the five competing teams in the tournament.

(COVER IMAGE: IRFAN PATHAN / INSTAGRAM)