Lahore Qalandars signs Sri Lankan spinner after Gudakesh Motie withdrawal

Three-time champions Lahore Qalandars have officially confirmed Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage as the replacement for Gudakesh Motie, who has withdrawn from the upcoming 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3.

The franchise announced the development through a post on their official social media handle, confirming the latest update.

The West Indies left-arm spinner’s decision to pull out follows a delayed return home from the T20 World Cup.

The West Indies squad had been stranded in Kolkata following their elimination on 1 March, unable to secure commercial flights due to widespread airspace restrictions caused by the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

They have only been able to return to the Caribbean in the past 48 hours.

The Qalandars have moved swiftly to secure a like-for-like replacement and are on the verge of finalising a deal with the 23-year-old Sri Lankan.

Wellalage enjoyed a productive T20 World Cup with the ball, claiming eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.22—more than half a run superior to Motie’s tournament economy. The left-arm orthodox spinner has also shown steady improvement as a lower-middle-order batter.

Despite the travel disruption that affected multiple teams following the World Cup, Motie is understood to be the only West Indian player from the tournament signed by a PSL franchise.

South Africa’s players were also unable to return home until the weekend, though no member of their World Cup squad features in this year’s PSL.

Wellalage will join his T20I captain Dasun Shanaka at the Qalandars, with the latter having been acquired by the franchise at the draft.

Lahore Qalandars enter the competition as defending champions, having secured three of the last four titles, including a thrilling victory in last year’s final at Gaddafi Stadium.

The 11th edition of the PSL gets underway on 26 March, with the Qalandars set to face new entrants Hyderabad Kingsmen in the tournament opener at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Updated Lahore Qalandars squad for PSL 11: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Naeem, Mustafizur Rahman, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Fakhar Zaman, Ubaid Shah, Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Farooq, Dasun Shanaka, Parvez Hossain Emon, Asif Ali, Tayyab Tahir and Dunith Wellalage.