A distraught Shaheen Afridi was set to pack his bag and return to Pakistan from the Sri Lankan Premier League T20, the Lankan Premier League (LPL) after being dropped from Kandi Royals game combination.
Kandy Royals have assured Shaheen of fielding him as an “impact player” for the match against Colombo Capitals. According to reports, despite assurances, the franchise has shockingly dropped Shaheen Afridi from the squad.
Shaheen Afridi has reported this to anti-corruption officials after being dropped from Lankan Premier League side Kandy Royals.
The incident left Pakistan T20I captain very disappointed and as there was no good reason to drop him from the playing mix, the fast bowler reported it to the anti-corruption official.
Shaheen Afridi was reportedly going to leave Sri Lanka and the franchise’s league immediately, but stayed for now as the franchise asked him and convinced him to stay with the team for the Lankan Premier League.
With the Impact Player rule introduced for the first time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to add extra excitement to the franchise league, every franchise is empowered to make tactical moves. Using the rule, franchises can make one change to the playing combination.
Shaheen Afridi was going to play as a substitute player against the Colombo team in the LPL 2026 match but could not play as his name was not in the team sheet.
Why Kandy Royals did not allow Shaheen Afridi to play in the match?
According to Pakistan’s local media Tribune, in the middle of the first innings of the match, when Kandi was batting, the coach informed Shaheen Afridi that due to an unforced error his name was not mentioned in the team report. Therefore, he would not be able to take part in the match.
Afridi was not convinced by the excuse and decided to leave the team and Sri Lanka immediately. First of all, he reported the incident to the anti-corruption department, after which he prepared to leave.
However, the star pacer remained with the team after the franchise and the league organizers apologized to him. A Tribune report claimed that a spokesperson for the Lankan Premier League said the problem with Afridi was due to an incorrect team sheet being presented to the umpire. If the claims are to be believed, since Afridi’s name was not mentioned in the team sheet, the franchise could not field him in the match.
Allegations of match-fixing in the Lankan Premier League
The ongoing LPL 2026 was in the headlines only a few days ago with match-fixing allegations involving former India Under-19 cricketer and Jaffna Kings Indian owner Manjot Karla. Carla was arrested by Sri Lanka’s Special Investigation Unit on charges of influencing cricketers ahead of a Jaffna Kings match.
The matter is currently under investigation. Meanwhile, the organizers withdrew the former cricketer from the tournament. Sri Lanka Cricket is currently handling the situation.