Overview
- Shaheen Afridi, who had been told by Kandy Royals he would play as an impact player, lodged a formal complaint with the Lanka Premier League Anti‑Corruption Unit after discovering his name was missing from the match list on Saturday.
- Afridi raised the issue with an anti‑corruption official and the match referee and was prepared to leave Sri Lanka before franchise officials and league organisers apologised and convinced him to stay.
- The LPL said an incorrect team sheet was submitted to match officials and that the paperwork error, blamed on an analyst, legally barred the Royals from bringing Afridi on as an impact substitute.
- The episode follows the pre‑tournament arrest of Jaffna Kings co‑owner Manjot Kalra and the revocation of that franchise’s ownership, compounding concerns about the competition’s operational and integrity controls.
- Beyond immediate disruption to Afridi’s participation — he did not play the most recent match after the incident — the case raises the prospect of a formal ACU inquiry and increased scrutiny of LPL procedures, sponsorship and player trust.