Atif began by discussing the Qalandars’ persistent journey in the Pakistan Super League (PSL)
Sports (Mohsin Ali): From learning the art of losing to Shaheen’s captaincy: Atif Rana. Lahore Qalandars Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Atif Rana shared insights into the franchise’s efforts to contribute to Pakistan cricket and their strategic decisions, including appointing Shaheen Afridi as captain in an exclusive interview with The Destination. The move had been appreciated by Pakistan’s World Cup-winning captain, Imran Khan.
Atif began by discussing the Qalandars’ persistent journey in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “Nobody knows losing more than us,” he said. “We enter the PSL to contribute towards Pakistan cricket. We constructed a state-of-the-art high-performance centre equipped with modern-day requirements, including a bowling machine, gym, swimming pool, and floodlights. We have also launched a talent hunt program in major cities across Pakistan, and we were quite happy that the turnout was beyond our imaginations.”
He emphasized the Qalandars’ mission to engage Pakistani youth in positive activities. “The main objective of taking the Lahore Qalandars franchise was that Lahore is the heart of Pakistan. A one-month tournament was not enough to engage youth, so after the PSL ends, the concept fades. We created the Player’s Development Program to maintain this engagement. Initially, we didn’t see success and remained at the bottom of the table. We were told that Pakistan doesn’t possess talent, which stunned us. We believed that if Pakistan doesn’t have talent in cricket with such a large youth population, then the youth might turn to anti-state elements rather than contributing positively to society.”
Atif highlighted the impact of the Player Youth Program, which started in regions such as Bahawalpur, Layyah, DG Khan, Gilgit, FATA, and AJK. “Around 600,000 kids turned up for the trials. If the Qalandars hadn’t started that program, Pakistan and world cricket would have never found talents like Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, and others. We picked a talented bunch of players and sent them to Australia to participate in matches. Since we lack high-profile activities in Pakistan, we established a top-class high-performance centre in Lahore.”
International Collaboration
To showcase Pakistani talent globally, Atif mentioned collaborating with countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia, Australia, and England. “We signed deals with these countries to bring their young players to Pakistan. They returned home with positive stories about Pakistan’s beauty and safety. We spent a huge amount of money from our own pockets for the sheer love and passion for our country and cricket. Today, we can proudly say that we are trendsetters, as none of the other franchises have such infrastructure.”
When asked about the Qalandars’ poor performance in the recently concluded PSL, particularly due to Rashid Khan’s absence and Shaheen Afridi’s focus on batting, Atif defended the team’s decisions. “Rashid is a world-class spinner and an integral part of the Qalandars, but cricket is not an individual game. We missed Rashid, as there is no replacement for him. We gave chances to players like Salman Irshad, Ghulam Muddasar, and M. Irfan Junior, who didn’t click for the Qalandars but are now representing other PSL franchises. Sohail Akhtar led us to the finals, Usman Qadir went on to play for Pakistan, and our main aim is to win titles while also introducing young talent.”
Shaheen Afridi’ Captaincy
Addressing why Shaheen Afridi was chosen as captain despite having senior players, Atif said, “When we met former PM Imran Khan he lauded our decision and termed it the best for the Qalandars and Pakistan. Shaheen has proven to be an excellent choice, winning matches singlehandedly with his batting and showing commitment and loyalty. He aims to give his 200 percent and will thrive in both roles as a batter and a bowler. Claims that his batting ambition would hurt his performance are baseless. If Imran Khan, who also faced criticism and proved his leadership by coming up the order in the 1992 World Cup semis and finals, supports this decision, then nobody can question our intentions. Our ambition is to provide Pakistan cricket with quality players and restore its former glory.”
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Atif concluded by reiterating the franchise’s dedication to developing cricket in Pakistan. “We want to give Pakistan cricket several quality players in the years to come and take Pakistan cricket back to its old glory days.” The writter is senior sports journalist and can be reqched at Mohsinaliisb.com.pk
From learning the art of losing to Shaheen’s captaincy: Atif Rana
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