Badree, Cooper for Sri Lanka Premier LeagueFriday, July 6 2012
WEST INDIES T20 team leg-spinner Samuel Badree and his Trinidad and Tobago compatriot, all-rounder Kevon Cooper, have been named by Sri Lanka Cricket, among a list of 56 foreign players, for the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League.
But top TT and West Indies all-round duo Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, as well as off-spin ace Sunil Narine were not among the 56 names called, and it is likely that the trio may be involved in the English county circuit, upon the conclusion of the Digicel Home Series against New Zealand (the series is expected to end on August 6).
The inaugural SLPL will be played from August 10-31,featuring seven provincial teams, with matches carded for two venues - the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele International Stadium.
There are no India or England players - apart from Azhar Mahmood - among the 56, who were picked by the seven franchises via a draft system in Colombo on Thursday.
For Badree, it is the first time he will be participating in a major T20 tournament outside of the West Indies, and he was picked up by Uthura, where he will join Cooper, who featured in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year.
West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who has not featured in top-level cricket since May 2011, was drafted by Ruhuna.
Veteran Windies opener Chris Gayle, named as an icon player, will represent Uva while his fellow Jamaican all-rounder Marlon Samuels will play for Basnahira.
The other two West Indies players at the event are the Barbadian fast bowling duo of Fidel Edwards (Uthura) and Kemar Roach (Wayamba).
Australia have the most players in the list, with 18, five more than the second-highest Pakistan.
The release made no mention of the salaries that the players will be paid. Sri Lanka’s domestic players will be drafted on Friday.
Each team will be allowed a maximum of six overseas players in their squads and four in their playing XI, SLC said in a release. Also, it will be necessary for each team to field a local Under-21 player in every game.
Sri Lanka Premier League teams - Basnahira Bears, Kandurata Kites, Nagenahira Nagas, Ruhuna Rhinos, Uthura Oryxes, Uva Unicorns and Wayamba Wolves.
Franchises’ Overseas Signings -
UTHURA: Kevon Cooper, Samuel Badree, Fidel Edwards (West Indies); Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh); Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe); Imran Farhat (Pakistan), David Miller, Dillon du Preez (South Africa).
NAGENAHIRA: Travis Birt, Ben Laughlin, Mitchell Marsh (Australia); Ahmed Shahzad, Imran Nazir (Pakistan); Elias Sunny, Musfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain (Bangladesh).
RUHUNA: Jerome Taylor (West Indies); Shahid Afridi (Pakistan); Daniel Harris, Ryan Harris, Aaron Finch (Australia); Nathan McCullum (New Zealand); Ryan McLaren, Richard Levi (South Africa).
WAYAMBA: Kemar Roach (West Indies); Azhar Mahmood, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Akmal (Pakistan); Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh); Colin Ingram (South Africa); James Faulkner, Brad Hogg (Australia).
KANDURATA: Saeed Ajmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan), Dane Vilas, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha (South Africa); Chris Lynn, Adam Voges (Australia).
BASNAHIRA: Marlon Samuels (West Indies); Dirk Nannes, Clint McKay, Cameron Borgas, Daniel Smith, Brad Hodge (Australia); Robin Peterson (South Africa), Tim Southee (New Zealand).
UVA: Chris Gayle (West Indies); Callum Ferguson, Andrew McDonald (Australia); James Franklin (New Zealand); Umar Gul, Shoaib Malik, Abdur Rehman, Hammad Azam (Pakistan).
