The Qalandars, a franchise owned by the Lahore Qalandars, have put together an impressive squad for the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 League 2021.
The Qalandars made their debut last season and they managed to qualify for the playoffs in their very first season. However, that was where their successes ended. They were first beaten by the 2019 champions Maratha Arabians in the Qualifier and then by the Deccan Gladiators in Eliminator-2.
Despite finishing 2nd at the end of the Super League stage, the Qalandars finished 4th overall after they lost their 3rd game in a row in the 3rd Place Playoff to the Bangla Tigers.
In their bid to perform better in the upcoming edition of the tournament, the Qalandars have made some impressive signings in the recently concluded player draft for the T10 League.
The team have an explosive top-order consisting of Pakistani southpaw Sharjeel Khan and impressive young Englishman Tom Banton. In addition, the Qalandars have also retained two more English players in Samit Patel and Chris Jordan along with Welshman Phil Salt.
Some of the team's new signings include a host of Pakistani bowling stalwarts including Hasan Ali, Asif Ali, Sohail Tanveer and Sohail Akhtar. Those new signings give the Qalandars bowling line-up a balanced look.
Who is the Qalandars' icon player?
Shahid Afridi will be the Qalandars' Icon player for the Abu Dhabi T10 2021. Afridi last played competitive cricket for the Galle Gladiators in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League this year.
Although Afridi pulled out of the tournament after playing just 3 games owing to personal reasons, he rolled the clock back with a blitzkrieg fifty in one of the games.
The veteran smashed 58 from just 23 balls against the Jaffna Stallions and his innings included 3 fours and 6 sixes. It was his first fifty in 3 years and also his joint-fastest half-century in T20 cricket.
Qalandars full squad for Abu Dhabi T10 League 2021
Icon player: Shahid Afridi
Retained players: Tom Banton, Chris Jordan, Samit Patel, Philip Salt, Sultan Ahmed
Drafted players: Sohail Tanvir, Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Sohail Akhtar, Sharjeel Khan, Fayyaz Ahmed, Azmatullah Omarzai, Maaz Khan, Ben Dunk, Khurshid Anwar
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