KARACHI — The Lanka Premier League (LPL) has been hit by a wave of intense controversies after Pakistan’s T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi lodged a formal complaint with the tournament’s Anti-Corruption Unit. The premier fast bowler was reportedly “dropped” right before a high-profile fixture between Kandy Royals and Colombo Caps due to what the franchise management described as an analytical blunder. The sudden exclusion left the pace spearhead heavily distressed, prompting him to pack his bags to return home to Pakistan. However, tournament organizers and senior team officials quickly intervened, tendering a formal apology to successfully persuade him to remain with the squad.
The incident unfolded when Kandy Royals’ management told Afridi he would feature as an “Impact Player”—a tactical rule adopted from the IPL allowing mid-match substitutions. However, during the first innings, the head coach informed a stunned Afridi that the team analyst had failed to officially register his name on the team sheet. Sensing foul play, Afridi immediately reported the administrative lapse to the match referee and anti-corruption officials. This drama follows an earlier crisis where Jaffna Kings’ Indian owner, Manjot Karla, was arrested by Sri Lanka’s Special Investigation Unit on match-fixing allegations, forcing Sri Lanka Cricket to seize control of the franchise. Despite the off-field turmoil, Afridi has claimed four wickets across three appearances, alongside other Pakistani players including Mohammad Nawaz and Sahibzada Farhan.
