Pathirana shatters LPL record with $ 120,000 buy at Player Auction

 Colombo Strikers franchise who bought Matheesha Pathirana for a record price

• Kusal Perera unlucky again goes unsold after T20 WC snub

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowling sensation Matheesha Pathirana shattered the Lanka Premier League (LPL) record when Colombo Strikers bought him for a staggering figure of $ 120,000 at the Player Auction held at the Hilton Colombo yesterday.

In fact the record set at last year’s Player Auction by left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka who was bought by Jaffna Kings at a price of $ 92,000 was shattered twice with former Sri Lanka white ball all-rounder Isuru Udana also topping the $ 100,000 mark when he was purchased by Galle Marvels.

The bid for Pathirana started at a base price of $ 50,000 and Dambulla Thunders began the bidding at $ 70,000, but Galle upped the price to a record $ 100,000 and then to $ 120,000. When everyone thought that Galle had a prized catch, Colombo Strikers for whom Pathirana played last year exercised their right and retained him for $ 120,000, despite a valiant attempt by Galle to raise the price.

Colombo also picked on the exceptionally talented former Sri Lanka U19 captain Dunith Wellalage for $ 50,000 after starting with a base price of $ 30,000.

36-year-old Udana who retired from international cricket three years ago to concentrate on playing domestic and franchise cricket became the second most expensive signing when he fetched $ 8,000 more with Galle than last year’s signing with B-Love Kandy.

Sri Lanka’s former white ball captain Dasun Shanaka who started with a base price of $50,000 was bought for a high price of $85,000 by current champions B-Love Kandy who also have two other top T20I all-rounders in captain Wanindu Hasaranga and Angelo Mathews. All three players are part of Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for next month’s ICC T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies.

Afghanistan all-rounder Karim Janat was the most expensive overseas player bought for $ 80,000 by last year’s runner-up Dambulla.

The first round of the bidding produced a few surprises when Sri Lanka’s destructive white ball opener Pathum Nissanka and only ODI double centurion and devastating player Kusal Perera both went unsold at a base price of $ 40,000 each. Nissanka however was purchased in the second round of bidding for $ 40,000 by Jaffna Kings, but Perera’s was a big omission. For 33-year-old Perera it was another unfortunate blow to his career when none of the five franchises showed any interest in purchasing him. It comes on the heel of being left out of Sri Lanka’s squad for the T20 World Cup.

Other interesting purchases were Danushka Gunathilaka who makes a return to the LPL fold at $ 22,000 with Dambulla, former Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne brought by B-Love Kandy for $ 10,000 and former Sri Lanka white ball cricketer Asela Gunaratne who at 38 was also bought for $ 10,000 by Dambulla.

Some of Sri Lanka’s under19 cricketers also figured in the auction like Garuka Sanketh, Malsha Tharupathi and Sadisha Rajapaksa.

Franchises like Colombo, Jaffna and Kandy have gone for experience covering all bases, Galle has got a formidable unit together and Dambulla has given room for youngsters.

The six-hour auction began at 12 noon.

B-Love Kandy ownership resolved

Champions B-Love Kandy’s ownership has been resolved with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) giving them the green light to continue in the upcoming LPL-5. Earlier this week SLC had said that there could be a change in ownership and there were three franchise owners showing interest. However, the matter has been resolved and B-Love Kandy will continue with their present owners. Two other franchises had their ownership changed Galle and Dambulla because of breaches of contractual obligations.

SQUADS

Colombo Strikers

 Pre-signed and retained players: Chamika Karunaratne, Nipun Dhananjaya, Thisara Perera, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Shadab Khan, Glenn Philips

Bought at auction: Chamika Gunasekara, Dunith Wellalage, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Taskin Ahmed, Angelo Perera, Shevon Daniel, Binura Fernando, Garuka Sanketh, Matheesha Pathirana, Shehan Fernando, Kavin Bandara, Isitha Wijesundara, Muhammad Waseem, Allah Ghazanfar.

Dambulla Thunders

 Pre-signed and retained players: Dushan Hemantha, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Mustafizur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran

Bought at auction: Lahiru Udara, Akila Dananjaya, Danushka Gunathilaka, Ifthikar Ahmad, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Ranesh Silva, Sohan de Livera, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Asela Gunaratne, Lahiru Madushanka, Rusanda Gamage, Mithun Jayawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Haider Ali, Santhush Gunathilaka.

Galle Marvels

 Pre-signed and retained players: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lasith Croospulle, Niroshan Dickwella, Maheesh Theekshana, Tim Seifert, Alex Hales

Bought at auction: Janith Liyanage, Dwaine Pretorius, Sahan Arachchige, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Sean Williams, Zahoor Khan, Malsha Tharupathi, Sadisha Rajapaksa, Mohamad Shiraz, Isuru Udana, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Chamindu Wijesinghe, Jeffrey Vandersay, Yuri Koththigoda.

Jaffna Kings

 Pre-signed and retained players: Charith Asalanka, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Kusal Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmed.

Bought at auction: Rilee Roussow, Fabian Allen, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pramod Madushanka, Jason Behrendorff, Asitha Fernando, Vishad Randika, Lahiru Samarakoon, Eshan Malinga, Alex Ross, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Wanuja Sahan, Murvin Abinash, Arul Pragrasam, Pathum Nissanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nishan Madushka, Theesan Vithusan, Nisala Tharaka.

B-Love Kandy

 Pre-signed and retained players: Dushmantha Chameera, Kamindu Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Wanindu Hasaranga, Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers

Bought at auction: Ashen Bandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Dasun Shanaka, Ramesh Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Mohammad Hasnain, Pawan Ratnayake, Chamath Gomez, Chaturanga de Silva, Kavindu Pathiratne, Lakshan Sandakan, Sammu Ashan, Azam Khan, Agha Salman, Mohammed Ali.

 Top buys

• $ 120,000 – Matheesha Pathirana (Colombo Strikers)
• $  100,000 – Isuru Udana (Galle Marvels)
• $ 85,000 – Dasun Shanaka (B-Love Kandy)
• $ 80,000 – Karim Janat (Dambulla Thunders) Afghanistan allrounder

Overseas players

Colombo Strikers: Shadab Khan, Glenn Philips, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Taskin Ahmed, Muhammad Waseem, Allah Ghazanfar.

Dambulla Thunders: Mustafizur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran, Ifthikar Ahmad, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Haider Ali.

Galle Marvels: Tim Seifert, Alex Hales, Dwaine Pretorius, Sean Williams, Zahoor Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Jaffna Kings: Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmed, Rilee Roussow, Fabian Allen, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Ross,

B-Love Kandy: Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Mohammad Hasnain, Azam Khan, Agha Salman, Mohammed Ali.