Afridi leaves for US on fund-raising visit

KARACHI - Pakistan’s one day skipper Shahid Afridi left here Tuesday morning for US on a week long private and fund raising visit.

During his stay in the United States, Shahid Afridi will visit his father who is under treatment there. He would also attend a number of functions which will be organized by Islamic Relief Fund to raise money for flood affected people of the Khyber PakhtunKhwa.

After US visit Shahid would proceed to England where he will play for Hampshire County. He has already conveyed his availability to the PCB for the two T20 series that Pakistan is due to play against Ireland in Dublin where the matches would be played may 25 and 27.

Meanwhile, Afridi who has already been contracted to play in the inaugural Sri Lankan Premier T20 League will arrive around July 16 in Colombo where the seven team competition moulded on the IPL pattern will start on July 19 and end on August 4.

Shahid Afridi will lead Nagenahira Nagas in the competition in which a number of Pakistani cricketers are among thirty three foreign players who have been invited to play in the SLPL.

Shahid Afridi. Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Akmal are other players from Pakistan who will participate in the league.

As many as 12 Indian players likely to feature in the tournament and all matches will be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Twenty-four matches have been scheduled between the seven teams named after seven provinces of the Island.

The seven teams taking part in the tournament are: Basnahira Bears, Kandurata Kites, Nagenahira Nagas, Ruhuna Rhinos, Uthura Oryxes, Uva Unicorns and Wayamba Wolves. Previously known as the Inter Provincial Twenty20, the competition has been named as SLPLT20. Somerset Entertainment Ventures is behind the restructuring of the new competition.

Tillakaratne Dilshan will lead Basnahira Bears of Western Province; Kumar Sangakkara has been named captain of Kandurata Kites of Central Province;

Shahid Afridi will lead Nagenahira Nagas Eastern Province; Sanath Jayasuriya will captain Ruhuna Rhinos of Southern Province; Daniel Vettori leads Uthura Oryxes of Northern Province; Chaminda Vaas has been named skipper for Uva Unicorns; Mahela Jayawardene will captain Wayamba Wolves of North Western Province.

Each team is allowed to have five overseas players, but only four will be allowed to play in a match. The remaining seven will be Sri Lankan players, with one player being an under-21 cricketer.

Full list of overseas players:

David Warner, Shaun Tait, Callum Ferguson, Daniel Christian (all from Australia); Tamim Iqbal (BD); Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Manish Pandey, Manoj Tiwary, Munaf Patel, Paul Valthaty, Praveen Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Saurabh Tiwary, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar (India) ; Kevin O'Brien (Ireland); Daniel Vettori (NZ); Albie Morkel, Herschelle Gibbs, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Makhaya Ntini (all from South Africa); Chris Gayle Danza Hyatt, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard (WI).

Group stage fixtures: