Maharoof picks Wayamba over Delhi

Farveez Maharoof, the Sri Lankan allrounder, will represent his home team Wayamba for this year's Champions Twenty20 League in India. Maharoof had to choose between Wayamba and his IPL franchise, Delhi Daredevils, after he was named in both preliminary squads.

Wayamba, the domestic Twenty20 champions, are the lone team representing Sri Lanka in the Champions League. Delhi, the losing semi-finalists in this year's IPL, qualified for the tournament because they topped the league tables.

"Choosing between Wayamba and Delhi was one of the hardest decisions of my career, but in the end I felt Wayamba was representing Sri Lanka in the Champions League and therefore it was my national duty to play for them," Maharoof said.

"The decision was difficult because I have really enjoyed playing for Delhi in the past two years during the Indian Premier League and the franchise has looked after me and always been really supportive."

The tournament rules state that if a player chooses not to play for his home team, the away team will have to pat US$200,000 as compensation to the home team. In this case, Delhi would have had to shell out that amount had Maharoof opted to represent his IPL team.

Other players like Herschelle Gibbs (Cobras) and Brendon McCullum (Otago) have also committed to their home teams in the 12-team tournament which starts on October 8.