Muralitharan to play in Caribbean T20 league

Organisers of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) say they have signed Sri Lankan spin great Muttiah Muralitharan for their inaugural Twenty20 competition in July and August. Muralitharan, the world’s leading all-time test wicket-taker with 800, has played in various Twenty20 competitions since retiring from international cricket in 2011.

He is currently playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. In a statement released by the organisers, the 41-year-old Muralitharan said: “I am good friends with a number of the West Indian players, and having the chance to play on a team with guys competing in their home countries will be fantastic for me.”

Six franchised teams will play in the tournament, hosted across the Caribbbean from 29 July to 26 August. The player draft will be 24 May.