Pakistan’s legendary former pacer Wasim Akram is set to miss out on his stint as the mentor of Galle Gladiators franchise in the first season of Lanka Premier League (LPL), due to his mother’s illness.

According to Gladiators’ representative Nabeel Hashmi, it is not clear when Akram will be able to join the franchise in Colombo.

Earlier this month, Akram had said that Gladiators will be a strong contender in the upcoming tournament, due to begin from November 26.

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“We have some really good players in the Galle team, I don’t want to name names, but it is a good mix of youth and experience and I am sure we will give everyone a run for their money,” Akram told Khaleej Times.

“It is still early days to comment on whether we will make it to the final or not but one thing I can assure you, Galle Gladiators will be very tough to beat. I am really excited at our prospects,” he added.

Galle Gladiators franchise is owned by Nadeem Umar who also owns the Quetta Gladiators franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The Sri Lankan franchise will be led by star all-rounder Shahid Afridi and has the likes of Mohammad Amir and Colin Ingram in their squad.

It should be noted that the team’s captain Afridi has arrived in Sri Lanka and is currently in quarantine after missing his initial flight.