Former West Indies international Dwayne Smith will turn out for Bhairahawa Gladiators in the upcoming Twenty20 Everest Premier League, the tournament’s organizers said in a statement on Saturday.

The veteran allrounder has represented West Indies in all three formats of the game and is known for his aggressive batting, medium pace and athleticism in the field.

Smith played for Mumbai Indians during the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2008 before representing Deccan Chargers in the following edition. He rejoined Mumbai Indians in 2012 before being bought by the Chennai Super Kings in 2014. The allrounder played for Islamabad United in the 2016 season of the Pakistan Super League and was retained the following season.

The Barbadian, who plied his trade with the New South Wales for the 2009-10 Twenty20 Big Bash in Australia, has also played three seasons for the English county, Sussex.

Gladiators’ owner, Saket Sanghai, was elated over the addition of Smith in his squad. "Smith is a tailor-made batsman for Twenty20 cricket and is an extremely humble and giving personality. There is a lot to learn from him and I'm sure his inclusion in the side will do wonders for Nepali cricket as a whole."

The skipper of Bhairahawa Gladiators, Sharad Vesawkar sees the inclusion of Smith as a great step for Nepali cricket, going forward. "He being here will do a world of good for the team and is an exciting opportunity for all the players, especially the younger ones to observe how the greats go about their game," said Vesawkar.

Founder and Managing Director of the Everest Premier League, Aamir Akhtar said that it was the right time to bring in world-class players and veterans to Nepal, "Global household names in cricket will certainly help benefit Nepali cricket, especially the young players."

"Kids who will play in the tournament will get to share the field with players like Smith. It will not just be a dream come true for them, but also help raise their standards," Akhtar added. "We are working on bringing in other bigger names as well...this would contribute to our tourism year as well."

“I’m thrilled visiting Nepal in 2020 to be a part of Nepal's biggest sporting event: the Everest Premier League! So come support my team Bhairahawa Gladiators and be a part of this magnificent global cricket fiesta! I’ve heard so much about Nepal and its beautiful geography! I can’t wait to be there! See you guys in the ground,” the statement quoted Smith as saying.

The Everest Premier League begins on the 14th of March in Kathmandu.