LAHORE - Australian batsman Brad Hodge has decided to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Qatar next February while Sri Lankan right-handed batsman, Chamara Kapugedera has desired to play in the league saying it is a great opportunity and he is hoping to get a contract to participate.
The inaugural season of the PSL is set to include five teams from the provincial capitals - Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta – and include 24 matches to be played from February 4 to 24, 2016.
Hodge, 40, enjoyed a productive stint in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) this year with Guyana, finishing as the tournament's seventh-highest runs-scorer. "My name just gets put into a draft, and hopefully someone picks me up and I can contribute, there's a lot of good players out there that I assume want to be involved," he said. The PSL, has already attracted the likes of West Indian T20 superstars Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, and now Hodge has confirmed that he has applied to play in the tournament.
Sri Lankan right-handed batsman Chamara Kapugedera has said he is very interested in playing in the PSL and his representative has already made contact with the PSL management on this issue. "It is a great opportunity to play alongside some of the better international and domestic players and I am hoping that I can get a contract to participate in this tournament," Chamara was quoted as saying.
Chamara, who was part of the Sri Lanka squad for the tour to Pakistan in 2009, said almost every country is running its own T20 League and the Pakistani version can also take its place among them. "The PSL has the potential to become a top league and it will help in developing new talent for Pakistan just like it has done for the other countries," he said. Chamara said the PSL would provide great exposure for the younger and inexperienced Pakistani players. "They will be able to play alongside the top international players and learn from their experience," he said.
Chamara said holding the PSL in Doha was a good start as once it was established then maybe, it could be moved to Pakistan at a later stage when circumstances allowed it. "Once that happens then it will show to the world that Pakistan is a safe country for cricket and regular international cricket can resume there," he said. Speaking about having played against some of the currently banned bowlers in the past who may have taken his wicket, Chamara said when he was playing against Saeed Ajmal or M Hafeez, there were no such regulations in place.
"They were completely alright at that point. They are great bowlers and nothing that is happening now, can take that away from them," he said.