Munaf Patel joins Kandy Tuskers as Chris Gayle situation remains uncertain

With less than 10 days to go for the first season of the Lanka Premier League to begin, the organisers are still grappling with a host of issues to tackle. Even though they got My11Circle as the principal sponsor for the tournament, major logistical challenges continue to arise, including players pulling out at a heavy flow.

ESPN Cricinfo reported that Chris Gayle is still negotiating the terms with the organisers while Wahab Riaz and Liam Plunkett have opted out of the tournament. With Asif Ali and Dawid Malan pulling out, the list grew further but a lot of new names have been added to the signed list though.

Munaf Patel and Sohail Tanvir have been picked by Kandy Tuskers to make up for Wahab Riaz and Liam Plunkett, while Jaffna Stallions replaced Asif Ali and Dawid Malan with South Africa fast bowlers Kyle Abbott and Duanne Olivier, alongside roping in former English batsman Ravi Bopara. 

"Everything is in the pipeline for the tournament, and all that is left is for everything to be delivered. Today there is a press release about the title sponsor, and a broadcaster will be announced soon also. Most of the franchisees are coming to the island - the owners and other management staff. Players have also started arriving and Andre Russell is coming tomorrow,” LPL director Ravin Wickramaratne told ESPNcricinfo.

As per the rules, players have to isolate for three days in the hotel before they are allowed to begin training in small clusters. The entire contingent will go to a big bubble before partaking in the competition near Sooriyawewa ground, where the tournament is scheduled to be played in its entirety.