LPL 2020: Full list of Galle Gladiators players, captain and squad details

Galle Gladiators, one of the five franchises taking part in the inaugural Lankan Premier League (LPL 2020), have released their full squad.

The franchise will be led by former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi while Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been appointed as his deputy.

Some of the other key members of the Galle Gladiators squad include Afghanistani left-handed batsman Hazratullah Zazai, Pakistani left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, Chadwick Walton and Ahsan Ali.

Shahid Afridi may miss Galle Gladiators’ initial games

Meanwhile, as per latest reports, Galle Gladiators skipper Afridi might not be able to take part in the initial matches of LPL 2020, having missed his flight to Sri Lanka on Monday.

"Missed my flight to Colombo today morning. Nothing to worry, I'll be reaching soon to take part in the LPL for Galle Gladiators. Look forward to joining my teammates," Shahid Afridi tweeted.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, Shahid Afridi will have to serve his mandatory quarantine period after he lands in Sri Lanka, meaning he could end up missing Galle Gladiators' initial encounters in the tournament.

As mentioned earlier, Bhanuka Rajapaksa will lead the franchise should Afridi not be able to play owing to the quarantine rules.

Shahid Afridi was recently seen in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2020) play-offs. He picked up three wickets, but managed only 12 runs in two games for Multan Sultans.

LPL 2020 will see five franchises - Colombo Kings, Dambulla Viking, Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Stallions and Kandy Tuskers - battle it out against each other in 23 matches. However, the tournament’s popularity could be severely affected with a number of big names pulling out.

Chris Gayle, Liam Plunkett and Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga are among those who have decided to back out of LPL 2020. Gayle and Plunkett were slated to represent Kandy Tuskers while Malinga was to turn out for the Galle Gladiators.

Galle Gladiators will take on Jaffna Stallions in their first match on November 27. The tournament will kick-off a day earlier with Colombo Kings taking on the Kandy Tuskers in the opening match at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota

Galle Gladiators Squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (vice-captain), Hazratullah Zazai, Ahsan Ali, Sahan Arachchige, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya, Chanaka Ruwansiri, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Duvindu Tillakaratne, Chadwick Walton, Azam Khan, Lakshan Sandakan, Asitha Fernando, Mohammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood, Mohamed Shiraz, Nuwan Thushara, Abdul Nasir, Danushka Gunathilaka

Coach: Moin Khan, Mentor: Wasim Akram, Chairman: Zaheer Abbas