Shahid Afridi 'misses flight' to Sri Lanka, gives Twitter update on LPL 2020 participation

Shahid Afridi will miss at least the first two matches of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) campaign, after missing his flight to Sri Lanka. On Monday, the Galle Gladiators captain Shahid Afridi took to Twitter and revealed about the same. He tweeted about missing his flight to Sri Lanka and shared his eagerness on reaching the 'Island Nation' soon to take part in the Lanka Premier League.

Unsure of the details of his next possible flight to Sri Lanka, reports suggest that the former Pakistan captain is expected to team up with the Gladiators by Wednesday. The Galle Gladiators have also confirmed that Shahid Afridi will be unavailable for the first 2 matches as the allrounder will undergo a three-day isolated quarantine after reaching Sir Lanka. Afridi will likely be a part of a less stringent quarantine for a few more days before he joins the bio-bubble.

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Shahid Afridi's absence follows Lasith Malinga's withdrawal from Galle Gladiators squad

Earlier, the Gladiators had to suffer from substantial inconvenience as Lasith Malinga, who was their first-choice captain, withdrew from the tournament. Malinga shared his decision to not participate in the LPL earlier at short notice last week, citing lack of preparation as a major factor for the same. The Gladiators will also be without former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. Ahmed also made himself unavailable for this year's LPL after being picked up by Pakistan for their tour to New Zealand.

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Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who is vice-captain for the Gladiators, is likely to lead them for their first 2 matches of their campaign. The Gladiators take on Jaffna Stallions on November 27 in their first match followed up by a match against Colombo Kings on the following day.

Top players opt out of LPL 2020

The 5 Lanka Premier League teams named the Jaffna Stallions, the Kandy Tuskers, the Galle Gladiators, the Colombo Kings, and the Dambulla Hawks are set to take part in the LPL 2020. Indian Cricket fans might be keeping an eye out for the Kandy Tuskers who have two former Indian fast bowlers, Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan. However, Kandy Tuskers will be without the services of 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle and England fast bowler Liam Plunkett, who opted against playing in the LPL 2020.

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Many other cricketers like World No.1 T20I batsman Dawid Malan alongside former South African captain Faf du Plessis and David Miller have also given up their LPL 2020 contracts as they prepare to participate in England's tour of South Africa. The Jaffna Stallions will play this season without Pakistan's top-order batsman Asif Ali. Kyle Abbott has been brought in to replace Asif Ali. They will also miss English all-rounder Ravi Bopara who was a part of their team for LPL 2020.

Scheduled to start on November 26, the LPL 2020 is set to be played in Sooriyawewa Stadium, near Hambantota as all teams will be in a biosecure bubble throughout the tournament.

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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.