Cricket

Darren Gough, the former England fast bowler, has emerged as the frontrunner to become the head coach of Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Gough's appointment as head coach of Qalandars in the Global Super League (GSL), which begins in Guyana on November 26, is seen as a stepping stone towards a permanent role in the PSL.Aaqib Javed, who served as head coach and director of cricket operations for Qalandars for eight years, resigned last month to join the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a member of the selection committee for the Pakistan men's national team. Qalandars won back-to-back PSL titles in 2022 and 2023 but finished bottom of the table this year.Gough, who retired in 2006 as England's leading ODI wicket-taker, is eager to take on the role. The GSL is seen as an opportunity for him to gain experience before a permanent decision is made.Gough previously served as managing director at his former club, Yorkshire, after being appointed in December 2021 following the racism allegations that rocked the club. He parted ways with Yorkshire in March this year. Before that, he had a stint as England's bowling consultant in 2020.In 2021, Yorkshire launched a partnership with Qalandars aimed at "nurturing talent [by] reducing barriers to entry" following the racism crisis."I'm really excited about this opportunity because I've been fortunate to work with the Qalandars in Lahore on several occasions, assisting with their PDP [player development programme]," Gough said in a statement. "We know that Lahore Qalandars are all about giving young players opportunities they've never had before -developing their skills and shaping them into players who can go on to represent the Qalandars, and hopefully make Pakistan cricket proud."Sameen Rana, co-owner of Qalandars, said Gough's vision aligned "seamlessly with our commitment to player development", referring to the appointment as an embarkation on "a new journey".The GSL will feature five teams: Qalandars, Hampshire Hawks from the T20 Blast, Rangpur Riders from the BPL, Victoria from Australia, and the hosts, Guyana Amazon Warriors. The final will take place on December 7.

The inaugural Global Super League, a groundbreaking T20 competition, is set to kick off on November 26, featuring a diverse lineup of teams from around the world. The opening match will pit the Guyana Amazon Warriors (Caribbean Premier League) against the Lahore Qalandars (Pakistan Super League).The five-team tournament also includes Hampshire Hawks (T20 Blast), Rangpur Riders (BPL), and Victoria (Australia state team). Eleven matches, culminating in the final on December 7, will be played across as many days. Each team will face each other once, with the top two advancing to the championship match.The Global Super League aims to showcase the best of international club cricket and establish Guyana as a global sporting destination. The tournament has received the sanction of Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the full support of the Guyanese government.However, the scheduling of the Global Super League coincides with other major cricket events, potentially affecting player availability. The West Indies will be hosting Bangladesh for two Tests during the same period, which could impact the Guyana Amazon Warriors, who have several players in the West Indies Test squad.Similarly, the Pakistan tour of South Africa, starting with T20Is on December 10, may affect the availability of players from the Lahore Qalandars, including captain Shaheen Afridi and star batsman Babar Azam.Despite these potential scheduling conflicts, the Global Super League is expected to attract top talent and provide a thrilling spectacle for cricket fans worldwide. The tournament offers a unique opportunity for teams from different leagues and countries to compete against each other, showcasing the diversity and depth of T20 cricket.

Pakistan's star pacer Shaheen Afridi's captaincy has come under scrutiny following Lahore Qalandars' dismal performance in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). After leading the franchise to consecutive titles in the previous two seasons, Shaheen has failed to inspire his team this year. Lahore Qalandars have won only one match and are languishing at the bottom of the points table.According to Cricket Pakistan, Shaheen is likely to lose his position as captain of Pakistan's T20 team. The report suggests that Shaheen, at 23 years old, is too young to handle the responsibility. "PCB's new chairman Mohsin Naqvi has been receiving suggestions for a change in captaincy. Some believe that 23-year-old Shaheen is too young for this responsibility and needs more maturity," the report states.Pakistan is scheduled to face New Zealand in a T20 series next month, and the decision on Shaheen's future as captain will be made by Naqvi before then, with the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind. However, some board members believe that changing the leadership close to the World Cup could negatively impact the team's performance.Mohammad Rizwan is a potential candidate to replace Shaheen as captain, with former skipper Babar Azam also in contention. Shaheen took over as Pakistan's T20 captain after Babar stepped down following the ODI World Cup last year. Babar had relinquished his role after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament.Shaheen led Pakistan in a five-match series in New Zealand earlier this year, but the visitors lost the series 1-4. Meanwhile, Rizwan and Babar will aim to guide their respective PSL franchises to the title. Rizwan's Multan Sultans finished the group stage at the top of the table, while Babar's Peshawar Zalmi also qualified for the playoffs. Babar is the leading scorer in the tournament with 498 runs in nine matches.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has joined the chorus of criticism against Lahore Qalandars skipper Shaheen Afridi's decision to promote himself to No. 5 in the batting order during Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches.Inzamam's criticism comes after Afridi's quickfire half-century off 28 balls against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday. However, the former captain expressed concern that Afridi and Abdullah Shafique had used up too many deliveries, preventing the team from posting a higher total."This partnership between Abdullah Shafique and Shaheen Afridi... if you look at the scorecard, then it looks very impressive, scoring 55 off 34 balls and the other scoring 59 off 39 balls. But the scorecard doesn't do justice to it. They played all the overs - almost 14 - and all you could take the total to was 167, whereas it should have been 200-plus," Inzamam said.Inzamam also questioned Afridi's decision to bat at No. 5, arguing that it was not beneficial for the team, especially when there were specialist hitters like David Wiese and Sikandar Raza available."Shaheen coming in to bat at No. 5 but scoring at that pace is not good for the team. When you have specialists such as David Wiese and Sikandar Raza, the score could have been better," Inzamam said.Afridi's decision to bat at No. 5 has also drawn criticism from legendary Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram. After Afridi's dismissal for only 1 against Karachi Kings, Akram said that Afridi needed to be told that he had not yet become an all-rounder."Shaheen scored 1 off 3, while Raza scored 22 off 16 & Wiese 24 off 9. They took the score to 177. It's not mandatory that if you are captain you have to come out to bat. Observe the situation & whether there are better players & hitters in the dugout. If Shaheen had done that maybe they would have made 190," Akram said.

Mohammad Amir's Heated Exchange with Fan Overshadows Quetta Gladiators' PSL Playoff BerthFormer Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir found himself embroiled in a heated verbal exchange with a fan during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 match between Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars on Sunday.As Amir made his way to the field, a section of the crowd began chanting "fixer fixer," a reference to his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal in 2010. The chants clearly irked Amir, who responded angrily."Ghar se yehi seekh ke aate ho" (Is this what you learn at your home?), Amir retorted.The incident brought back memories of Amir's promising young career being derailed by the spot-fixing scandal. At the age of 18, Amir, along with his new-ball partner Mohammad Asif and Pakistan captain Salman Butt, faced five-year bans from cricket and received jail sentences.Despite the unpleasant incident, Amir was elated as Quetta Gladiators secured a spot in the playoffs during the ongoing ninth season of the PSL. The Gladiators earned their playoff berth with a six-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars, courtesy of a last-ball six by Wasim Jr.Amir's performance on the field has been impressive throughout the tournament, and he has played a key role in Quetta Gladiators' success. However, the heated exchange with the fan serves as a reminder of the challenges that Amir has faced in his career and the lingering stigma associated with his past.

Quetta Gladiators secured a playoff berth in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after a thrilling six-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars on Sunday. The win marked the Gladiators' first playoff appearance in four years.Mohammad Wasim played the hero for Quetta, smashing a last-ball six off Shaheen Shah Afridi to seal the victory. The left-arm pacer had earlier bowled a superb spell, taking 2 for 30 and putting pressure on the Gladiators' chase.Saud Shakeel anchored the Gladiators' innings with an unbeaten 88 off 65 balls. The opener hit two boundaries off Afridi in the final over before Wasim's match-winning six. Khawaja Nafay also contributed with a valuable 26.Earlier, Lahore Qalandars chose to bat first and posted 166 for 4. Afridi, who promoted himself to No. 5, top-scored with 55 off 33 balls, including four sixes. Abdullah Shafique provided solid support with an unbeaten 59 off 39 deliveries.The Gladiators' victory leaves the Qalandars with only one win in ten league games, a disappointing end to their title defense. Quetta, meanwhile, has 11 points and could still finish among the top two if they beat Multan Sultans in their final league game on Tuesday.

Karachi Kings Snatch Thrilling Victory Over Lahore Qalandars in PSLIn a nail-biting encounter at the National Stadium in Karachi, the Karachi Kings emerged victorious over the Lahore Qalandars by three wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Saturday. The win keeps Karachi's playoff hopes alive, while Lahore's elimination was confirmed.Chasing a challenging target of 178, Karachi's openers James Vince (42) and Tim Seifert (36) provided a solid start with a 59-run partnership. However, Lahore fought back with the wickets of Kieron Pollard (3) and Seifert, who was run out due to a misunderstanding with Shoaib Malik.Irfan Khan's quickfire 35 off 16 balls kept Karachi in the hunt, but Shaheen Shah Afridi's dismissal of Khan in the penultimate over left the Kings needing three runs off the final delivery.With nerves jangling, Malik (27 not out) stepped up to the plate and drove Zaman Khan's low full toss through point to seal a dramatic victory for Karachi.Earlier, Lahore had posted a competitive 177-5 thanks to half-centuries from Abdullah Shafique (55) and Fakhar Zaman (54). Karachi captain Shan Masood's decision to demote himself to No. 3 proved fruitful, as the opening pair of Vince and Seifert provided a solid foundation.

Lahore Qalandars' owner Sameen Rana has vehemently criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for its handling of Haris Rauf's central contract termination, which was announced just two days before the start of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Rana condemned the timing of the decision as "pathetic" and accused the PCB of "really poor management."Rana expressed his dismay at the lack of communication with Rauf, stating that the player was not given proper notice or explanation for the termination of his contract. He emphasized that such a public humiliation was unprecedented and disrespectful.The decision came after Rauf made himself unavailable for Pakistan's Test series in Australia, a move that drew criticism from chief selector Wahab Riaz. However, Rana questioned the timing of the announcement, arguing that it was unnecessary and disruptive to Qalandars' PSL campaign.Rana highlighted the impact of the decision on Qalandars, who have struggled in the tournament due to injuries, unavailability, and poor performances. He expressed concern that Rauf's psychological state was affected by the termination, which coincided with his search for form.Rana also revealed that Rauf suffered a shoulder injury while playing for Qalandars against Karachi Kings, which is expected to sideline him for six weeks. He lamented the additional burden placed on the team to motivate Rauf and keep him focused.Rana's criticism reflects the growing frustration within the Qalandars camp over the PCB's handling of the situation. The team has been left reeling from the loss of their premier fast bowler and the negative impact it has had on their PSL campaign.