Malinga pulls out of Pakistan Super League deal
According to sources, Lasith Malinga will not participate in today's PSL drafting.
LAHORE (Web Desk/ AFP) – Sri Lankan pacer and T20 skipper Lasith Malinga has pulled out of his contract with Pakistan Super League (PSL), deciding to take time away to prepare for the upcoming World Twenty20, sources told Dunya News.
According to sources, Malinga will not participate in today’s PSL drafting.
In September this year, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga and Test captain Angelo Mathews had agreed to join Pakistan Super League which will be played in Doha, Qatar in February 2016.
Pakistan on December 10 announced a total of 308 top foreign and local players for drafting in its Twenty20 leagu, with tainted but cleared Mohammad Amir and exiled former England batsman Kevin Pietersen among them.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will stage the first edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) between February 4-23. Five teams have been sold for 93 million dollars (9.3 billion rupees) few days back.
PCB said 171 foreign and 137 domestic players will be available for drafting by teams.
These players have been divided into five different categories – Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging, the PCB added.
Mohammad Amir, whose five-year ban following a spot-fixing scandal tied to Pakistan‘s tour of England in 2010 was lifted in September this year, is in the Gold category after showing good form in Pakistan‘s domestic season and in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
The list also includes former England batsman Pieterson, Australian Shane Watson, big hitting West Indian Chris Gayle and Pakistan‘s own Shahid Afridi.
The list also includes the name of express Australian paceman Brett Lee who retired in 2012 in the Platinum class.
"Each team will be required to pick three players per category from each of the top three categories (Platinum, Diamond, Gold)," the PCB said.
Teams are required to draft two emerging players as part of PCB‘s plans to groom their players. PCB said all five teams will be finalising their coaching panels next week.
Sharjah and Dubai will host PSL matches, designed along the lines of lucrative leagues in India and Australia.
