Pakistan Super League: The Rise of Lahore Qalandars

Talking about the Pakistan Super League and not mentioning the Lahore Qalandars PSL 9 Squad seems impossible. When we look at the points table for the first four seasons of the PSL, we can truly feel the misery of the Lahore Qalandars, who consistently remained at the bottom. Despite their poor performance, their spirits never faltered. They carried out various experiments, whether it was appointing an unknown captain like Sohail Akhtar or placing their full trust in their development program. This series of experiments continued.

The year 2020 proved to be a turning point for the Lahore Qalandars, as they reached the final but fell just one step short of the title. Then came the year 2022, when the young fast-bowling sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi took over the captaincy. This decision proved to be a stroke of genius as Shaheen Afridi not only led the team to victory in 2022 but also secured the title in 2023. By accomplishing this, the Lahore Qalandars became the second team after Islamabad United to win the PSL title twice.

This achievement makes the Lahore Qalandars the only PSL team to successfully defend a title. The question now is, can they secure a hat-trick of championships? To assess their chances, let’s examine the PSL 2024 squad, the changes they’ve undergone, and the emerging shape of their team.

Lahore Qalandars’ Strategic Player Changes:

Outgoing Players: Hussain Talat, Liam Dawson, Harry Brook, Dilbar Hussain, Ahmad Daniyal, Shahwaiz Irfan, Jalat Khan, Jordan Cox, Shane Dadswell, Sam Billings and Kusal Mendis.

Incoming Players: Tayyab Abbas, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Syed Faidoun, Jahandad Khan, Dan Lawrence, Muhammad Imran Junior, Sahibzada Farhan, Rassie Vd Dussen.

In an intriguing twist, the Lahore Qalandars initially released their star opener, Fakhar Zaman, during the retention deadline, only to interestingly select him again in the PSL 9 draft. Similarly, they repeated this strategy with two other Qalandars, Kamran Ghulam and all-rounder Ahsan Bhatti, bringing them back into the fold through the draft.

Lahore Qalandars PSL 9 Squad:

Batsmen: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafiq, Dan Lawrence, Bhanuka Rajapaksa Kamran Ghulam, Tahir Baig, Sahibzada Farhan, and Rassie van der Dussen.

Wicket-keeper: Shai Hope.
All-rounders: David Wiese, Sikandar Raza, and Ahsan Bhatti.

Fast Bowlers: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Captain), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Muhammad Imran Jr., Jahandad Khan, and Tayyab Abbas.

Spinners: Rashid Khan and Syed Faridoun.

The Lahore Qalandars have hit a rough patch, with star spinner Rashid Khan having withdrawn himself from this season due to a recent back surgery, delivering a hard blow to both the team and its passionate fans. To add to the challenge, English batsman Dan Lawrence will be available only part of the time. As the team scrambles to fill these critical gaps, replacements have yet to be announced. In Rashid’s absence, the spotlight turns to Syed Faridoun and Sikandar Raza to lead the spin attack. The search is on for a top-notch spinner to step into Rashid’s big shoes, and Lahore Qalandars management is on the move to ensure the team remains a formidable contender.

Lahore Qalandars PSL 9 Schedule:

1. Vs Islamabad United, at Lahore on Feb 17, Saturday (Night)
2. Vs Quetta Gladiator, at Lahore on Feb 19, Monday (Night)
3. Vs Multan Sultans, at Multan on Feb 21, Wednesday (Night)
4. Vs Karachi Kings, at Lahore on Feb 24, Saturday (Night)
5. Vs Peshawar Zalmi, at Lahore on Feb 25, Sunday (Night)
6. Vs Multan Sultans, at Lahore on Feb 27, Tuesday (Night)
7. Vs Peshawar Zalmi, at Rawalpindi on March 02, Saturday (Day)
8. Vs Islamabad United, at Rawalpindi on March 06, Wednesday (Night)
9. Vs Karachi Kings, at Karachi on March 09, Saturday (Night)
10. Vs Quetta Gladiators, at Karachi on March 10, Sunday (Night)

All night games will begin at 7:00 PM, while day games at 2:00 PM, following Pakistan Standard Time.

The defending champions, Lahore Qalandars, will kick off their campaign against the formidable Islamabad United on February 17th, playing in front of their home crowd. After their first two games on home soil, they will head to Multan for an away game. Then, they’ll return to Lahore for their remaining home games scheduled between February 24th and 27th. Following that, the team will travel to Rawalpindi to play two matches on March 2nd and 6th. To conclude the league stage, they’ll make their way to Karachi for the final two games on March 9th and 10th.

For the complete PSL 2024 squad and schedule and additional details about PSL 2024, visit here.