PSL 2024 PSL Schedule PSL Points Table PSL Live Streaming Latest News Cricket Football Hockey Combat Sports E-Sports Other Sports

Lahore Qalandars Squad, Strengths, Weaknesses and Trump Card [Predictions]

Lahore Qalandars will be looking to rectify their mistakes of last season’s final and try to win their first-ever PSL title this time around. They have recruited some magnificent players and have retained most of their squad from last year, which provides them with a solid foundation to build from.

Number one T20I bowler, Rashid Khan, will be taking part in his first-ever PSL and will bamboozle the batsmen with his leg-spin.

Add to that the exciting talent of the English batsman, Tom Abell, and Lahore has one of the best squads in PSL this season. Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, David Wiese, Ben Dunk, and Samit Patel provide them with plenty of experience on the international stage, and the exciting fast-bowling trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Dilbar Hussain will look to wreak havoc on the opposition batting line-ups.


ALSO READ

Here’s How Islamabad United Will Stack Up in PSL 6 [Predictions]


  • Captain: Sohail Akhtar
  • Coach: Aqib Javed
  • Batting coach: Mansoor Rana
  • Fielding coach: Shahzad Butt
  • Best finish: Runners up (PSL 5)
  • Last year finish: Runners up

Strengths

Lahore’s strength lies in its fast bowling department. Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of the best fast bowlers in the world and is in terrific form. He outclassed the South African batsmen in the Test series and was lethal in the T20I series.

Haris Rauf’s emergence in international cricket has been exceptional as well. He finished as the top wicket-taker in T20 cricket last year and will prove to be a handful in PSL 6.

Dilbar Hussain has fully recovered from a torn hamstring he suffered in the Big Bash League and will be raring to go in PSL 6. Dilbar was impressive in the previous tournament, and his variations troubled the batsmen. The trio was the catalyst for Lahore’s run to the final last year.

Lahore has several all-rounders in their team. Mohammad Hafeez has been in the international circuit for a long time and is in excellent touch over the past two years.

David Wiese and Samit Patel were influential in Lahore’s run to the final last year, and both proved to be leaders on and off the pitch. Rashid Khan is a magnificent bowler and serves as a power-hitting option at the back end of the innings. Tom Abell is an exciting young prospect as well.

Weaknesses

Lahore has a brittle middle-order and tends to capitulate. Hafeez may be in magnificent form, but his failure can expose the brittle middle-order of Lahore Qalandars.

David Wiese and Samit Patel have been amazing for Lahore, but Lahore cannot rely on them every single time to dig them out of the danger zone. Ben Dunk is one of the best power-hitters out there, but he too cannot play the role of an anchor. Lahore’s middle-order is certainly combustible.

Another area of weakness for Lahore Qalandars is their emerging category players. According to the rules of PSL, at least one emerging player has to be in the playing eleven, a rule that Lahore struggled with last year. They did not have dependable performers in the emerging category, and this year the trend continues.

Lahore prefers to pick players from their Talent Hunt Programme, but it did not fare well for the last time around. Maaz Khan and Zaid Alam are the emerging players for Lahore in PSL 6, and it has hard to imagine them performing at the standard of PSL.


ALSO READ

Karachi Kings Squad, Strengths, Weaknesses and Trump Card [Predictions]


Superstar

Rashid Khan has taken the world by storm with his accurate leg-spin, and he will be looking to dismantle the batsmen in PSL. Rashid will get a lot of assistance from the pitches in Pakistan, and he would prove to be a wicket-taker. He can bat as well, as showcased in his exploits in the Big Bash League.

This will be Rashid’s first outing in PSL, and he will be looking to make a name for himself in Pakistan as he has already done around the world.

Hidden Gem

Somerset’s captain, Tom Abell, just like Rashid Khan, will be making his PSL debut. Abell has made a name for himself as a destructive player in England’s T20 League and will be looking to replicate that in PSL. Abell will provide Lahore with the explosiveness at the top of the order, and his medium pace owling can be well suited to the slow pitches in Lahore and Karachi.

Abell has the potential to be a star in world cricket, and he will be looking to utilize PSL as the perfect stepping stone to launch his international career.

Predicted Finish

Judging by the quality of the squad, it is hard to imagine Lahore not playing the final of PSL 6 in front of their home crowd. They have all the ingredients to make a perfect combination and win their first PSL title. They will have to be wary of themselves because Lahore Qalandars have been their biggest enemies more often than not.

Our prediction for Lahore Qalandars is champions!

Lahore Qalandars Squad

Sohail Akhtar (c) Mohammad Hafeez Shaheen Afridi
Rashid Khan Ben Dunk David Wiese
Haris Rauf Fakhar Zaman Dilbar Hussain
Samit Patel Tom Abell Zeeshan Ashraf
Mohammad Faizan Salman Ali Agha Maaz Khan
Zaid Alam Joe Denly Ahmed Danyal

Lahore Qalandars Schedule

Match No. Date Fixture Time Venue
1 Sunday, 21 February Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi 2:00 pm National Stadium Karachi
2 Monday, 22 February Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators 7:00 pm National Stadium Karachi
3 Friday, 26 February Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans 3:00 pm National Stadium Karachi
4 Sunday, 28 February Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars 7:00 pm National Stadium Karachi
5 Thursday, 4 March Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United 7:00 pm National Stadium Karachi
6 Saturday, 6 March Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars 7:00 pm National Stadium Karachi
7 Thursday, 11 March Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars 7:00 pm Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
8 Friday, 12 March Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars 8:00 pm Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
9 Sunday, 14 March Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings 7:00 pm Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
10 Tuesday, 16 March Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars 7:00 pm Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Check out the full PSL 2021 schedule here

They call me the Sports Guy!



Get Alerts

Follow ProPakistani to get latest news and updates.


ProPakistani Community

Join the groups below to get latest news and updates.



>