Jayawardene pulls out of Lancashire T20 stint

Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's former captain, has withdrawn from his planned stint with Lancashire during the NatWest T20 Blast campaign due to personal reasons.

Jayawardene, 40, had qualified to play for the club as a non-overseas player by virtue of his Danish wife, Christina, and had been expected to join up with the squad later this month ahead of their opening game against Durham on July 7.

"It's disappointing that Mahela won't be joining us for the upcoming T20 campaign," said Glen Chapple, Lancashire's head coach.

"We are currently reviewing and reassessing all options from a player perspective ahead of the NatWest T20 Blast campaign in light of this news."

Jayawardene added: "I am very disappointed to be unable to join Lancashire Lightning in the upcoming NatWest T20 Blast as planned.

"I would like to wish the club a successful campaign this year."

After retiring from international cricket in 2015, Jayawardene has featured in T20 leagues around the world as a player and mentor. He has previously played in the NatWest T20 Blast with Sussex and Somerset, and is currently head coach of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

He played in 149 Tests for Sri Lanka, scoring nearly 12,000 runs at an average of just below 50, and also made 448 ODI and 55 T20I appearances.