Shakib Al Hasan has officially joined Lahore Qalandars for a second stint in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the two-time champions. The Bangladeshi all-rounder has already linked up with the squad, and if everything goes smoothly, he is expected to feature in Lahore’s playing XI as early as Sunday.
The PSL had been temporarily suspended for about a week due to military tensions between India and Pakistan. The tournament is set to resume today (Saturday). With several overseas players unavailable, teams have been forced to bring in new reinforcements. Though Shakib remained unsold in the initial player draft, Lahore brought him in to address the foreign player shortage.
Earlier in the season, another Bangladeshi all-rounder, Rishad Hossain, played five matches for Lahore but is currently away due to international commitments.
Lahore Qalandars confirmed Shakib’s inclusion through a Facebook post, which also announced the signing of Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa as a replacement player. The post welcomed the new arrivals: “Kusal Perera, Shakib Al Hasan, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa have arrived in Islamabad and are fully focused on making an impact. Our foreign Qalandars are here and ready to light up the rest of PSL.”
Shakib was brought in primarily as a replacement for New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell, who returned home after the league was suspended. Following his selection, Shakib applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which the board has since approved, clearing the way for his participation in the remaining PSL matches.
UA / TDS
