Lahore Qalandars is a franchise team representing the second largest city of Pakistan, Lahore in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Owned by the Rana Brothers, this is the joint most successful team in the PSL along with Islamabad United, each having two titles, and also the only team in the league to win back-to-back titles. It is currently led by Pakistan’s one of the finest pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and coached by a former Pakistan cricketer, Aaqib Javed. In this article, we will have a look at the top 10 Pakistani bowlers to have donned the Lahore Qalandars’ jersey.
1. Salman Irshad
Born in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir in Pakistan, Salman Irshad was selected by Lahore Qalandars during a talent hunt conducted by the team in Azad Kashmir. He is a right-arm fast-medium bowler and who eventually represented the Lahore franchise during the 2018 and 2020 PSL seasons. He went on to play just 8 matches and picked up just 8 wickets during his stint there, having a best bowling figure of 4/30.
2. Raja Farzan
Raja Farzan, born in Lahore is a right-arm leg spinner who made his debut for the Lahore Qalandars in the 2018 Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy. He also represented the franchise during the 2020 PSL season. During his short tenure with the team, he played just 6 matches and picked up just 9 wickets, having a best figure of 4/24.
3. Sohail Tanvir
He is someone with whom we are all familiar with. Born in Rawalpindi, this left-arm medium-fast bowler has created a lot of problems for the batters over the years. He has represented Pakistan at the national level, gaining a lot of success there. When it comes to Lahore Qalandars, he represented them in the 2017 PSL season, playing just 8 matches and grabbing 10 wickets, having a best bowling figure of 2/24. His stint there was quite ordinary.
4. Rahat Ali
Similar to Sohail Tanvir, Rahat Ali is also a left-arm medium-fast bowler. He relied on his pace and swing to trouble the batters. Having picked up for the 2019 PSL season by the Lahore franchise, he picked up 10 wickets in the season, playing one match less than Tanvir. He had a bowling average of 17.60 and his best figure for the team was 4/29. However, like Tanvir, his tenure at Qalandars was also short-lived.
5. Mohammad Hafeez
Another Pakistani cricketer who needs no introduction at all. This batting all-rounder has represented Pakistan in all three formats, having played 55 tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20 internationals. Although he was mainly known for his prolific batting abilities, he was pretty valuable as a bowler too. This right-arm off-break bowler has played in different domestic teams all around the globe, and Lahore Qalandars happens to be one of them. He represented this franchise during the 2019-2022 period, during which he picked up 11 wickets in 24 innings, also having bowled a maiden over. His best bowling figure is 2/23.
6. Dilbar Hussain
Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Dilbar Hussain is a bowling all-rounder who signed for Lahore Qalandars in 2020 and is still a part of the team. This right-arm medium fast bowler has played 13 matches for the franchise, grabbing 16 wickets and having a best bowling figure of 4/24.
7. Yasir Shah
Yasir Shah is a right-arm leg-break bowler who has represented Pakistan in 48 tests and 25 ODIs, having over 250 wickets to his name. From 2017-2019, he played for Lahore Qalandars, starting in 23 matches for the team. He has grabbed 23 wickets during this period. His bowling average is 25.21 and best bowling figure is an impressive 4/7 in a very low scoring match against Peshawar Zalmi during the 2017 PSL season. In spite of being on the losing side, he was adjudged the Man of the Match in this match.
8. Zaman Khan
Zaman Khan is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who has an unorthodox side-bowling action similar to the Srilankan great Lasith Malinga. This 21-year-old bowler was picked up by this Lahore team in 2021 for the 2022 edition of the PSL and he is still an active player in the side, having established his role as one of the leading bowlers of the team. He is known for his ability to bowl with a very low economy rate, which has helped his team win tight matches on many occasions, most notably the 2023 PSL final against the Multan Sultans, where the latter needed just 13 runs off the last over and 4 runs off the last ball. Khan once again bowled a beautiful over to seal Lahore’s second PSL title. Overall, he has played 26 matches for the franchise and secured 33 wickets. His bowling average is 22.45, economy 8.38 and best bowling figure of 4/16
9. Haris Rauf
Haris Rauf made his debut for the Lahore Qalandars in the 2018 Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy and then slowly and steadily established himself as one of the significant bowlers of this group. Still playing for this team, he happens to be the second most wicket taker of this team. He is a right-arm fast bowler and is known for his very fast bowling speed. In the 2023 edition of the PSL, he bowled the quickest delivery of the tournament, clocking at 154 kph to get Keiron Pollard clean bowled. He has started in 55 matches and grabbed 66 wickets, with an average of 28.25 and best bowling figure 4/23.
10. Shaheen Shah Afridi
Leading from the front is the skipper himself, the left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi. He has been quite impressive since his debut, be it in the domestic circuit or in the international circuit. This 23-year-old youngster made his debut for the Lahore Qalandars in 2018 and grabbed the Man of the Match award in his second match only. He went on to become the captain of the team in 2022. Under his leadership, Qalandars won back-to-back PSL titles in 2022 and 2023. He has played in 65 games and has 94 wickets to his name. He has an average of 20.75 and an economy of 7.91. His best bowling figure of 5/4 came in a low-scoring match against the Multan Sultans in 2018, which helped his team win the match and also earned him the Man of the Match award.
