Colombo: Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has lodged a complaint with the Lanka Premier League’s (LPL) anti-corruption unit after reportedly being ruled out of a match due to an administrative error.
The Pakistan ODI captain was so distraught by the incident that he decided to return home before the franchise officials and league organizers apologized and urged him to continue in the tournament.
Ahead of Kandy Royals’ match against Colombo Capitals, Shaheen was announced by the team management as an impact player, according to media reports.
The impact player rule, first introduced in the Indian Premier League (IPL), allows a team to substitute a nominated player during a match. A substitute may bat or bowl the full allocation of four overs, while the substitute does not take part in the game.
However, after Kandy Royals elected to bat first, the team trainer told Shaheen during the innings that his name had not been included on the official team sheet as the designated hitter due to an analyst’s error.
The unexpected development shocked the Pakistan pacer, prompting him to report the matter to the tournament’s anti-corruption unit.
The incident was later brought to the notice of the match referee, after which the franchise officials and league organizers apologized to Shaheen and convinced him not to leave the match.
Shaheen has featured in three matches during the tournament, taking figures of 1/41 in his first game, followed by 1/32 in his second appearance and 2/34 in his third. He did not play in his team’s recent match.
Several Pakistani representatives including Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Akif Javed are also involved in the match, while Asif Yakub serves as referee.
Meanwhile, an LPL spokesperson confirmed that the issue involving Shaheen Afridi was due to him submitting an incorrect team sheet to the match referee.