Irfan Pathan to play in the Lanka Premier League

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan on Sunday announced that he will play for the Kandy Tuskers in the upcoming Lanka Premier League, which starts on November 21.

Pathan, who retired from all forms of cricket earlier this year, became the first Indian to sign up for the LPL and said that he is looking forward to playing in the foreign league.

“I am extremely excited to be part of the Kandy franchise in LPL. We have some exciting names in the team and I am looking forward for the experience,” Irfan Pathan was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the LPL.

The Kandy-based franchise, coached by former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne, has some big names in their fold. Chris Gayle, Sri Lankan stars like Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis and Nuwan Pradeep, apart from World Cup-winning English fast bowler Liam Plunkett, are among those who will turn out for the team.

Kandy Tuskers owner Sohail Khan acknowledged that Irfan Pathan will not only provide firepower to the squad but will also impart valuable advice and experience to the younger players.

“Irfan’s inclusion will not only add to the firepower of the squad but his experience will be a huge asset to the team,” added Khan.

Irfan Pathan took 301 wickets and scored 2,821 runs over the course of 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is between 2003 and 2012.

The Lanka Premier League will be played from November 21 to December 13 across two venues – the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota and the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

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Irfan Pathan to play alongside mixed group of players for Kandy Tuskers

Irfan Pathan in action during the CLT20 2012 semi-final

The full squad list of the Kandy Tuskers is given below:

Kandy Tuskers (coached by Hashan Tillakaratne): Chris Gayle, Irfan Pathan, Kusal Perera, 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 Fernando, Chamika Edirisinghe, Ishan Jayaratne

The Sri Lankan government is unlikely to reduce the mandatory quarantine period for those flying into the country. However, SLC acknowledged that the foreign players and officials have agreed to undergo 14 days of self-isolation.