CRICKET NEWS:KEVIN O'BRIEN is about to turn his big-hitting World Cup heroics into personal reward on the double after signing up to play for English county side Gloucestershire, while he will also join one of the seven sides to take part in the new Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) Twenty20 tournament later in the summer.
The 27-year-old all-rounder from Sandymount, Dublin, displayed his destructive batting to brilliant effect during the recent World Cup, scoring the fastest century in the tournament’s history off just 50 balls as Ireland stunned England in victory in Bangalore.
Talks of a lucrative deal with an Indian Premier League franchise came in the aftermath of that performance, but having not been included in the original list for the player auction, O’Brien would have to bide his time.
Now the Railway Union right-hander will have the perfect opportunity to put himself in the shop window by taking part in the inaugural Sri Lankan tournament, which will be run off over 18 days in late July and August and organised by Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment Ventures.
And although it pales in comparison to the juggernaut of its Indian counterpart, top players are expected to earn up to €20,000 for their involvement.
O’Brien is still to find out which of the seven sides he will be playing with, although he has been informed that former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya will skipper the side and that West Indies batsman Darren Bravo and South African bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe have also been approached to play in the same side.
“The opportunity actually came through (Ireland coach) Phil Simmons, who forwarded me an e-mail a while back, and subsequently Somerset Entertainment Ventures approached me,” said O’Brien yesterday. “It’s going to be a magnificent experience, and hopefully I’ll acquit myself well.”
For the time being, O’Brien will be concentrating on his return to county cricket with Gloucestershire after spending time with Nottinghamshire in 2009. His older brother, Niall, plays for Northamptonshire. He is looking forward to working under former New Zealand coach John Bracewell and will get plenty of opportunity to brush up on all things Sri Lankan, as the county have also signed Muttiah Muralitharan.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to play for Gloucestershire, and work under one of the most successful coaches in domestic one-day history,” added O’Brien “It is going to be an honour to play with Murali.”
O’Brien is expected to join up with the side later this week and could make his debut in the Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Glamorgan in Cardiff on Sunday.
