Irfan Pathan can become the first Indian male cricketer to play in an overseas league. The former team India all-rounder has been listed for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) player draft that takes place in London on May 22.
A record 536 players from 20 overseas countries and the West Indies have been named for the 2019 CPL draft.
Besides Irfan, star players like Alex Hales, Rashid Khan, Shakib al Hasan, Jofra Archer and JP Duminy will be hoping to display their considerable skills alongside home-grown talents like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Jason Holder for the six CPL franchises.
“The fact that so many players have registered for our draft is a testament to the stature of our league”, said Michael Hall, Hero CPL Tournament Operations Director.
“Playing cricket in the Caribbean is something that all players look forward to, and the CPL combines that allure with a high standard of cricket. We expect that this year’s tournament will be no different.”
The registered players in the draft list includes 35 names from Afghanistan, 18 from Australia, 19 from Bangladesh, 1 from Bermuda, 16 from Canada, 40 from England, 5 from Hong Kong, 1 from India, 4 from Ireland, 2 from Kenya, 4 from Nepal, 23 from New Zealand, 1 from Oman, 83 from Pakistan, 3 from Scotland, 48 from South Africa, 34 from Sri Lanka, 2 from UAE, 12 from the USA, 10 from Zimbabwe and 178 from the hosts West Indies.
Prior to the draft, each franchise will have the option to retain and/or acquire a maximum of six players, although there is no obligation to do so. The players they can potentially retain are as follows:
- Minimum of three (3) West Indian players, a maximum of four (4)
- Maximum of one (1) overseas player, reduced to none if four (4) West Indians retained
- A Marquee Player whether retained or acquired
- An ICC Americas Player, whether retained or acquired
All retentions will be announced during the live broadcast of the player draft which will be broadcast on the CPL social media platforms from 2 pm GMT on May 22.
