Locals to brush shoulders with stars

Uthura Rudras have been stung by the late withdrawals of allrounder Shakib Al Hasan and pace bowler Fidel Edwards, but it's their top order that appears most bare. Aside from Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor, Uthura lack the strokemakers who can ravage attacks and put oppositions under immediate pressure. Further down, Jehan Mubarak and Chamara Kapugedara add substance to the middle order, but even with Imran Farhat, Rob Quiney and Kevon Cooper likely to occupy two spots in the top six between them, it is not a side likely to daunt opposition bowlers.

With ball in hand, though, Uthura seem more formidable. Muralitharan may not be as penetrative as he once was, but it's a rare match in which he concedes more than eight an over, particularly in a tournament where batsmen are more likely to play him on reputation. In Kyle Mills, Farveez Maharoof and Dillon du Preez, Uthura also have an experienced pace battery.

Player to watch: Left-arm orthodox spinner Sohan Boralessa has been on the cusp of the national team for a while, and it's not difficult to see why. His 175 first class wickets have come at 22.20, and his List A and Twenty20 averages are even better. Known to give the ball plenty of air, expect him to be a worthy attacking complement to Muralitharan.

Packed with local bowling talent, Nagenahira will have the luxury of fielding an intimidating attack without using any of their imports. Nuwan Kulasekara and Shaminda Eranga are arguably the two finest swing bowlers in the country, and will move the ball in opposite directions at the beginning of the innings. Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews pose varied threats of their own.

This of course means that the batting can be crammed with accomplished foreign players. Travis Birt, Mitchell Marsh, Ahmed Shehzad and Mushfiqur Rahim will form the likely core of an explosive top order, and as long as injuries are averted, Nagenahira could conceivably include nine players who have played international cricket this year in their XI. With Mathews, Marsh and Randiv, prowling the outfield, even the fielding looks good.

Player to watch: Ajantha Mendis may have been deciphered in Tests, but he still holds the best average among Twenty20 bowlers to have taken more than 25 wickets. Local batsmen who have not analysed his carrom ball a thousand times on video are often still flummoxed by Mendis' variations. His performance in the SLPL is also likely to determine whether he remains part of the national team in the shortest format, or if he is discarded altogether.

Word is Mahela Jayawardene had plenty of input during the selection process and it shows. Youngsters like Dinesh Chandimal, Isuru Udana whose inclusion he has championed on the international stage, have also wound up in the Wayamba squad - perhaps as a validation of their talent, but also because it will allow Jayawardene time to work further with them. Chaminda Vaas returns to Sri Lankan cricket at 38, and will likely share the new ball with Kemar Roach.

In addition to Roach, Wayamba can claim one of the most impressive lists of overseas talent in the tournament, with Umar Akmal, Tamim Iqbal, Brad Hogg, Abdul Razzaq, Colin Ingram and Azhar Mahmood jostling for four spots. Wayamba have already earned two trips to the Champions League in 2009 and 2010. With another balanced side in 2012, they could be contenders for the flight to South Africa once again.

Player to watch: Akhila Dhananjaya, a 19-year-old spin bowler, made headlines when he was named in Sri Lanka's 30-man squad for the World Twenty20, without having played any First-class or List A cricket. The national selectors had picked him solely on Jayawardene's recommendation after he had befuddled batsmen at Sri Lanka net sessions. Said to possess seven variations, the SLPL will be the world's first look at Dhananjaya, who himself is not completely sure if he bowls offspin or legspin.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara's fractured finger will keep him out until the latter stages of the tournament, but with plenty of seasoned hands in the Kandurata Warriors squad, he is unlikely to be missed much, in a leadership capacity at least. A current international captain in Misbah-ul-Haq, and two former skippers in Johan Botha and the old man of the game, Sanath Jayasuriya, will help fill that gap.

Though the bowling stocks are good, with Botha, Saeed Ajmal, and Thisara Perera likely to form the hub of the attack, the batting may tend towards pedestrian. Several of the local batsmen, including Tharanga Paranavitana and Malinda Warnapura are better suited to the longer formats. Kandurata will hope Jayasuriya can defy age and provide the starts of yore, and that Albie Morkel and Thisara Perera will prove the rapid finishers they have sometimes been for their national sides. Australia's Adam Voges may also help spur the run rate, provided he can claim one of the four overseas spots.

Player to watch: Saeed Ajmal has been the most improved spinner in world cricket over the past two years, and his success has not been limited to Tests. Routinely a bankable death-bowler, he went for only 5 runs an over in two Twenty20 internationals in Sri Lanka in June. As the most penetrative cog of the attack, though, Kandurata will rely on him to take plenty of wickets as well, particularly as the Premadasa square begins to wear towards the end of the tournament.

In an odd coincidence with their bizarre team name, the Basnahira Cricket Dundees have enlisted three Antipodean quicks in Dirk Nannes, Clint McKay and Tim Southee, and they, along with Nuwan Pradeep, Dhammika Prasad and Thilan Thushara, give the franchise the best fast bowling depth in the tournament. Quality spinners abound too, through Robin Peterson, Rangana Herath and Jeevan Mendis, giving the Dundees talent to burn in the bowling department.

Not so with their batting. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Brad Hodge will need to contribute regularly, to lift a batting order likely to be comprised largely of domestic players. Australia's Cameron Borgas and Daniel Smith may not play many games, if the overseas players spots are occupied by bowlers.

Player to watch: Tim Southee was once one of the finest Twenty20 bowlers in the world, adept at getting batsmen out at the top of the innings with movement, and restricting them with slower balls and yorkers towards the end. Over the last 18 months, however, his radar and his swing seem to have left him. Now no longer a certainty for New Zealand selection, he will hope to rediscover consistency and work his way past the slump.

Though Uva Next lost their biggest international player and icon to injury, it is the local talent that seems to have gone missing in the selection process. Only Upul Tharanga, of the Sri Lankan players can claim to be a regular in any of the national teams, though in Seekkuge Prasanna and Sachithra Senanayake, Uva have two spinners who are being looked at closely for extended stints in the big leagues.

Despite Gayle's withdrawal, the overseas talent is healthy. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Callum Ferguson and James Franklin will bolster the batting, while Umar Gul will spearhead the attack. Allrounders Jacob Oram and Andrew McDonald are also likely to feature in Uva's campaign at some point.

Player to watch: Dilshan Munaweera's omission from the 30-man World T20 squad caused a stir in Sri Lanka, after the opening batsman had impressed at a single wicket tournament. A hard-hitter of rare power, the job of providing the innings' impetus will fall to him in Gayle's absence.

The Ruhuna Royals line up is perhaps the most daunting team in the competition, with the likes of Lasith Malinga, Shahid Afridi, Richard Levi, Nathan McCullum, Aaron Finch and Ryan Harris in its ranks. The batting packs aggression - even local players like Gihan Rupasinghe and Chamara Silva are renowned for their ability to accelerate - while the bowling has few apparent weaknesses.

Perhaps the only stumbling block will be leadership. Malinga, as the icon player, will likely captain the Royals, and though the team is packed with experienced limited-overs specialists, only Afridi comes close to being an adequate deputy. Still, expect raw talent to propel the Royals into the knockout stages of the tournament.

Player to watch: Lasith Malinga appears distinctly hittable in the final overs, where he once ruled supreme after the India series. Indian players cited their familiarity with his action through the IPL to be the root of their success against Malinga, but it seemed that waywardness and mistakes in length had also crept into his game. Malinga getting those inswinging toe-crushers to sing again will be key to Sri Lanka's hopes in the World Twenty20. Will the SLPL and the added stress of captaincy, wear Malinga out? Or will it spark a return to form?