Gayle named one of two international icons in Sri Lanka Premier League

Jamaica and West Indies opener Chris Gayle’s star power in the world t20 game has again been brought to the fore as he has been named one of two international icons for the new Sri Lanka Premier League.

Gayle has been afforded the honor alongside Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, for the tournament that begins August 10. The presence of the duo who will join five Sri Lankan players as icons of their respective teams, lends the fledgling league some star power and has the potential to boost viewership.

Gayle, who is set to play New Zealand in five ODIs and two tests at home in a series that ends August 6, will represent the UVA Province, while Afridi will play for Nagenahira.

Last week Sri Lanka Cricket auctioned the seven Sri Lankan Premier League teams for an average price of $4.3 million. A number of Indian companies are believed to have successfully bid for the teams, highlighting the lure of the franchise model in cricket's largest market despite the BCCI's reluctance to allow Indian players to participate.

A player draft will be conducted on July 5 and 6, with a lottery held to determine the order in which players are picked.

The SLPL will run for three weeks, with the final to be held on august 31. There will be 24 games in total, split between Colombo and Pallekele.