COLOMBO: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has reportedly withdrawn from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026.
According to the reports, Shaheen has informed Kandy Royals that he was pulling out of the tournament for personal reasons. No further details have been disclosed, and the franchise has yet to announce a replacement.
The 26-year-old withdrawal comes days after reports of an administrative error that resulted in his omission from Kandy Royal’s playing XI against Colombo Capitals.
Reports said Afridi had been named as the Impact Player for the fixture. However, after Kandy elected to bat first, team management informed him that his name had been mistakenly left out of the official team sheet because of an analyst’s error.
The incident reportedly prompted Afridi to raise the matter with an official from the tournament’s Anti-Corruption Unit before it was referred to the match referee.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
Franchise officials and tournament organisers later apologised to the Pakistan international. According to media reports, Afridi briefly considered leaving the tournament before deciding to remain with the squad following the apology.
Nonetheless, Shaheen Afridi endured a poor campaign in the tournament, picking up only seven wickets in six matches at an average of 32.00 and an economy rate of 10.18.
Meanwhile, two other Pakistani players have joined LPL franchises as replacements.
Emerging batter Khawaja Nafay has signed for Jaffna Kings in place of Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran, while all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has joined Dambulla Sixers as a replacement for Afghanistan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi.
READ: Ireland prepares for potential protests during Afghanistan series