LPL 2023: Colombo Strikers' Head Coach ‘excited to work with Babar Azam’ ahead of fourth edition

Pakistan’s star batter, Babar Azam, is set to make his debut in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Babar was picked up by Colombo Strikers at the auction leading into the fourth season of the league. The fourth edition of the league will feature five teams. The Colombo-based side's head coach, Simon Helmot has expressed his excitement on the opportunity to work with Pakistan’s skipper.

Helmot also stated that the tournament will have an impact on the players at the grass-roots level in Sri Lanka. Apart from Strikers, Dambulla Aura, Galle Titans, Jaffna Kings, and B-Love Kandy are the other teams in the tournament. 

Apart from Babar, South African star batter David Miller and Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan are some of the other prominent cricketers who have signed up for the event. The Sri Lankan star players to feature in the tournament are Angelo Mathews, Charith Asalanka, and Dasun Shanaka among others. 

"We have a well-balanced squad. Sagar and the team did a great job on Auction day. It'll be exciting to work with Babar Azam. There are quite a few youngsters in our group. The next challenge for us will be to do the job on match day. We'll be looking to set the tone in our first match," said Colombo Strikers' Head Coach Helmot during a virtual press conference. 

“The tournament is certainly an advantage for the young players. It'll be great for the young bowlers to work with someone like Chaminda Vaas. The competition will also motivate players at the grassroots level to try and find a place in one of the LPL teams," he further added. 

Babar will be leading strikers in the LPL 2023, as the league is scheduled to take place from July 30 to August 20. The two venues for the tournament are Colombo and Kandy. In the last edition, Jaffna Kings lifted the title for the third consecutive time. Strikers will play their first game on July 30 in Colombo.