LPL 2020: Shahid Afridi in danger of missing Galle Gladiators' initial games after missing flight

It seems like the Lanka Premier League (LPL) organizers just cannot organize the inaugural edition of the competition. The organizers have already suffered several setbacks due to a spate of withdrawals and now Shahid Afridi is also looking likely to miss at least one match after missing his flight to Sri Lanka on Monday.

The former Pakistan skipper was appointed as the captain of Galle Gladiators. However, he is looking more than likely to miss his side’s tournament-opener in the LPL. Afridi himself confirmed the news on Monday. The veteran cricketer took to Twitter to reveal the news and insisted that there is ‘nothing to worry’ while also stating that he would reach Sri Lanka soon.

“Missed my flight to Colombo today morning. Nothing to worry, I’ll be reaching soon to take part in the LPL for Galle Gladiators. Look forward to joining my teammates,” Shahid Afridi tweeted.

Here is the tweet from Shahid Afridi:

Missed my flight to Colombo today morning 😕
Nothing to worry, I'll be reaching soon to take part in the LPL for Galle Gladiators. Look forward to joining my teammates

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) November 23, 2020

As of now, there is no clarity on when will Afridi arrive in the island nation. But after his arrival in Sri Lanka, he will have to undergo the mandatory quarantine period. As a result, he may miss the initial matches of Gladiators. In case, he misses the action for the Gladiators, Bhanuka Rajapaksa will be leading the franchise. Galle Gladiators will play their first match on November 27 against Jaffna Stallions.

Afridi was last seen in action in the recently-concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs. He plied his trade for Multan Sultans and failed to make much of a mark with the bat. He scalped three wickets and scored only 12 runs in two games as Multan Sultans failed to make it to the final.

A spate of pullouts

The inaugural edition of the LPL has been rocked by several big names pulling out of the tournament citing various reasons. Last week, Chris Gayle withdrew from the competition, citing personal reasons. Sri Lanka’s most decorated T20 player Lasith Malinga has pulled out too, citing inadequate preparation time.

Among other big names who have decided against playing in LPL 2020 are Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Faf du Plessis, Ravi Bopara and Liam Plunkett. Meanwhile, the LPL will see fives teams, named after Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna, fighting it out for the title. Colombo will take on Kandy in the opening match of LPL at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on November 26.