Image Courtesy- Geosuper.tv & ESPNcricinfo.com
In the first phase of PSL 2021, the Lahore Qalandars were one of the favorites to win the title after their excellent performance in the competition in Pakistan. However, the Lahore Qalandars franchise failed to perform well in the second phase and failed to qualify for the PSL 2021 knockout stage.
Former Pakistan player Shoaib Akhtar showed disappointment with Lahore Qalandars’ bad performance in the second phase of PSL 2021. The 45-year-old expressed his wish to buy the franchise and rename it Lahore Express.
“I told Rana brothers to sell me your team I’ll rename it as Lahore express and change the management. These owners and management aren’t serious about cricket, they are wasting the Lahore brand,” said a Former Pakistan player, as reported by Crickwick.
In PSL 2020 season, Lahore Qalandars qualified for the final and lost to Karachi Kings in the final. This year, in phase one which was played in Pakistan, they had won five of their first six matches having the services of star players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, and Fakhar Zaman despite of which the Lahore Qalandars lost their last four league matches in the second phase to end the season in the fifth position, missing out on a playoffs ticket because of their low net run rate.
The Multan Sultans are set to face two-time PSL champions Islamabad United in the qualifier on Monday followed by the first eliminator between the Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi. The final of the tournament will be played on June 24.