Does the PCB need to step in and do something about the Lahore Qalandars?

[Gotham Cronie]

Lahore is the second-most populous city in Pakistan.

Lahore Qalandars have been down right pathetic, finishing in last place in every year of the PSL.

After the draft this year, the Qalandars were again being projected to finish in last place as they looked like the weakest teams on paper.

In their opening match, the Qalandars, playing for the first time in their home city, put up another weak effort, losing in the same fashion as previous years.

While the memes and Whatsapp jokes have been fun to share and forward, fact is that the league's potential is capped when this big of a market doesn't have a team that is exciting and garners support.

Lahore's team being a joke makes the league look bad and not only is affecting the competitiveness of the tournament, but it also hitting the business side.

They are an economic drag and one of the largest-market teams that is expected to contribute more towards the revenue pool is under performing.

So what should be done?

I have seen some posters say that the team should be taken away from the owners which is immature talk. There are legal agreements that were signed and that sets a terrible precedent that I'm sure the other owners would be wary of.

That being said, despite it being a conflict of interest in some ways, the PCB needs to find some help in the shape of a consultant or something along those lines and strongly "advise" the Qalandars to seek their help.

Fact of the matter is that the league as a whole and the other owners (and their pockets) would be better off for it if there was a strong team in Lahore.

While not exactly the same case, the NBA had to do something similar when after being pushed by other owners, the commissioner more or less forced the Philadelphia 76ers to hire a new chairman of basketball operations and special advise to their managing general partner.

Again, there were calls of foul play and conflicts of interest when this was done, but the NBA is better now because of the Sixers finally putting up a fight each week. Again, they were tanking before, so not the exact same situation, but the benefits can be the same.

 

[minamino]

Franchising rights of Qalco should be revoked by PCB. It’s not a joke that they represent Lahore yet not even have a single Lahori in their team except Butt

 

[Gotham Cronie]

Franchising rights of Qalco should be revoked by PCB.

Franchising rights should definitely not be revoked. That would be a terrible precedent. I'd be shocked if the other owners would approve of that.

Franchising rights of Qalco should be revoked by PCB.

Found the guy who doesn't understand franchise cricket.

 

[Kroll]

Relax, its a sleeping giant, they'll come good at some point. In the meantime, lets all keep laughing. After all PSL is about entertainment and we need one team to keep us all amused.

 

[sweep_shot]

I am a bit surprised Lahore is always at the bottom. It is one of the major cities in Pakistan. Quetta does well while Lahore flops. Kind of shocking.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

I like how both [MENTION=143714]Kroll[/MENTION] and Gotham Cronie have Injustice Joker profile pics

But on topic, yes something must be done. There's a huge amount of money to be made Lahore and if they were one of the best teams there could be a lot of money pumped out. Definitely some kind planning/advice should be given by PCB to help them manage their team better and make better transfers etc. Maybe they should focus on going for more cheaper buys that can balance their squad out instead of going for bigger names like AB, and so on.

 

[Bigboii]

Reminds me of Knicks always losing

 

[Forum363]

Lahore is the second-most populous city in Pakistan.

Lahore Qalandars have been down right pathetic, finishing in last place in every year of the PSL.

After the draft this year, the Qalandars were again being projected to finish in last place as they looked like the weakest teams on paper.

In their opening match, the Qalandars, playing for the first time in their home city, put up another weak effort, losing in the same fashion as previous years.

While the memes and Whatsapp jokes have been fun to share and forward, fact is that the league's potential is capped when this big of a market doesn't have a team that is exciting and garners support.

Lahore's team being a joke makes the league look bad and not only is affecting the competitiveness of the tournament, but it also hitting the business side.

They are an economic drag and one of the largest-market teams that is expected to contribute more towards the revenue pool is under performing.

So what should be done?

I have seen some posters say that the team should be taken away from the owners which is immature talk. There are legal agreements that were signed and that sets a terrible precedent that I'm sure the other owners would be wary of.

That being said, despite it being a conflict of interest in some ways, the PCB needs to find some help in the shape of a consultant or something along those lines and strongly "advise" the Qalandars to seek their help.

Fact of the matter is that the league as a whole and the other owners (and their pockets) would be better off for it if there was a strong team in Lahore.

While not exactly the same case, the NBA had to do something similar when after being pushed by other owners, the commissioner more or less forced the Philadelphia 76ers to hire a new chairman of basketball operations and special advise to their managing general partner.

Again, there were calls of foul play and conflicts of interest when this was done, but the NBA is better now because of the Sixers finally putting up a fight each week. Again, they were tanking before, so not the exact same situation, but the benefits can be the same.

Didn’t you just say in the other thread that the only the owners and management get to decide what’s best for the franchise? The owner has chosen the staff / team etc for five years.

Lahore’s performance is his concern only, he owns them.

 

[Ronaldo7]

I am a bit surprised Lahore is always at the bottom. It is one of the major cities in Pakistan. Quetta does well while Lahore flops. Kind of shocking.

We’re talking about franchises here not domestic teams.

Quetta is only quetta by name there are barely any (if any) players from quetta in there.

Likewise, Lahore has like one player from Lahore and that’s it.

 

[Hasan123]

No they need to sort themselves out. PSL is only a bit of fun. Lahore being successful won't affect Pakistan.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

Didn’t you just say in the other thread that the only the owners and management get to decide what’s best for the franchise? The owner has chosen the staff / team etc for five years.

Lahore’s performance is his concern only, he owns them.

The revenue that the tournament generates goes into the pool that all of the owners and the PCB share.

The second largest city having a non-feasible team is not just his concern.

 

[sweep_shot]

We’re talking about franchises here not domestic teams.

Quetta is only quetta by name there are barely any (if any) players from quetta in there.

Likewise, Lahore has like one player from Lahore and that’s it.

I know.

But, still, you would think Lahore team would fill it up with great players considering it is the main city.

 

[Bigboii]

No they need to sort themselves out. PSL is only a bit of fun. Lahore being successful won't affect Pakistan.

I think it does cause I stopped watching psl cause Lahore kept losing so there might be some people like me who only watch psl in order to watch their city win.

 

[Hasan123]

I think it does cause I stopped watching psl cause Lahore kept losing so there might be some people like me who only watch psl in order to watch their city win.

Well you clearly aren't a true fan if you have stopped watching after your team is losing.

Furthermore PCB can't even sort Pakistan cricket out, how are they going to sort a franchise out lol?

 

[Ronaldo7]

I know.

But, still, you would think Lahore team would fill it up with great players considering it is the main city.

Yeah. That’s the owner’s fault tbh.
He has so much money but can’t build a decent team.

Not a single world class player in our team. Not one

 

[Bigboii]

Well you clearly aren't a true fan if you have stopped watching after your team is losing.

Furthermore PCB can't even sort Pakistan cricket out, how are they going to sort a franchise out lol?

The true sale is when you sell it to the disinterested buyer thats what push any product to the next level and trust me there might be lots of Lahoris who stopped watching psl cause their team is not competitive and not everyone is a cricket crazy fan, people are living a busy life so you need a competitive team out there who you can get behind

 

[Glen Durrant fan]

You can't give unequal treatment to a team because they've been bad, there should be as little administrative intervention in cricket as possible, that's one of the main issues! They are still producing some amazing players, Haris Rauf from scratch seems the best example, and remember Sydney Thunder; came bottom loads then won it out of nowhere.

 

[Hasan123]

The true sale is when you sell it to the disinterested buyer thats what push any product to the next level and trust me there might be lots of Lahoris who stopped watching psl cause their team is not competitive and not everyone is a cricket crazy fan, people are living a busy life so you need a competitive team out there who you can get behind

PCB can't save Lahore.

Fans job is to support no matter the situation. If Lahore fans have stopped watching because of rubbish they are than they aren't true fans. But if you believe a team captained by Sohail Akthar, having Hafeez as a star player , and signing trash like Vilas can win a tournament. You are deluded.

 

[Bigboii]

Yeah. That’s the owner’s fault tbh.
He has so much money but can’t build a decent team.

Not a single world class player in our team. Not one

AB, B Mac, Gayle, SSA, UA, Chris Lynn, Sunil narine, Shinwari, Lendil simmon, Haris rauf,McClenaghan, M hafeez, FZ They all played for LQ at one point or another
They are all gun players for a t20 league, the problem is if the teams is run by buffoons you cant really expect too much from them and the coach is the ultimate dumbo has been

 

[angrypathan]

Just somehow force them to get rid of Aqib Javed, should solve half their problems

 

[Ronaldo7]

AB, B Mac, Gayle, SSA, UA, Chris Lynn, Sunil narine, Shinwari, Lendil simmon, Haris rauf,McClenaghan, M hafeez, FZ They all played for LQ at one point or another
They are all gun players for a t20 league, the problem is if the teams is run by buffoons you cant really expect too much from them and the coach is the ultimate dumbo has been

You know there’s a problem when a LQ fan like me can only name one (perhaps two) of the foreign players and when our “captain” is a guy who’s a failure in the domestic circuit and has not even played for Pakistan yet

 

[Gotham Cronie]

No they need to sort themselves out. PSL is only a bit of fun. Lahore being successful won't affect Pakistan.

Relax, its a sleeping giant, they'll come good at some point. In the meantime, lets all keep laughing. After all PSL is about entertainment and we need one team to keep us all amused.

You think the owners are in it to give fun to the Pakistani awaam?

They're in it for the $$$.

 

[Hawkeye]

Salman Butt is in the side.

Hope they keep losing.

Aqib is really bad for them.

They can't be helped.

 

[faraz39]

^This. Any team which picks Salman Butt deserves to lose and I hope they come in last until he is in the team.

 

[Hawkeye]

^This. Any team which picks Salman Butt deserves to lose and I hope they come in last until he is in the team.

Agreed brother.

Owner also appears to be really dumb, at least cricket IQ is zero.

 

[Hasan123]

You think the owners are in it to give fun to the Pakistani awaam?

They're in it for the $$$.

So if they are in it for the money it is their responsibility to sort the team out not PCB.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

So if they are in it for the money it is their responsibility to sort the team out not PCB.

Except that money goes into a pool that is shared so in the best interest of the other owners and league as well that Lahore doesn't become an economic drag that is under-contributing.

 

[Markhor]

PCB aren't exactly running a winning machine themselves so how can they advise a franchise.

 

[Markhor]

What you learn after enough years of watching Pakistan cricket that many of the people associated with Pakistan cricket simply do not care. They don't care as much as we do. They don't think about the game as much as we do.

For them, this is another notch on their belt, another asset in a business portfolio, another piece of their resume.

Despite the theatrics on the sidelines and in front of the cameras, these franchises are just a millionaire's plaything. Fawad Rana should stick to lubicrants.

 

[ethan hunt]

Enough is enough.
Lahore has produced the best Pakistani cricketers over the years.
This team must be disbanded. The city deserves much better. Rana fawad can take his circus elsewhere.
Him and Aqib have made Lahore a real laughing stock.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

They are not picking the right players. I don't know who is in charge of recruitment, but they are way behind other teams for talent. Even when Islamabad have an off day they still win.

 

[octavian]

Something definitely should be done. Mismanagement of this scale cannot be tolerated anywhere.

But legally speaking, whether the PCB can do something? I doubt it.

 

[Kroll]

You think the owners are in it to give fun to the Pakistani awaam?

They're in it for the $$$.

TBH, I really couldn't care either way, but my point was that in their botched efforts to turn a profit and win, they're inadvertently giving the awaam a right good laugh.

 

[DoosraTeesra]

Jokes over. They either sell the team or make a major shake up in the management. Utter disgrace.

 

[gazza619]

To be honest they just need to get rid of their captain Sohail Akhtar, Shinwari and that Samit Patel and they might get on track.

A team that has Shaheen, Haris and Hafeez needs to be respected.

 

[Rana]

To be honest they just need to get rid of their captain Sohail Akhtar, Shinwari and that Samit Patel and they might get on track.

A team that has Shaheen, Haris and Hafeez needs to be respected.

Also their Marquee signing needs to step up. Chris Lynn should win them games on his own. They have been let down by their big signing every year since the start of the season. This is why I was adamant they needed to sign Moeen Ali. The guy is much more likely to perform with either the bat or ball and lift his side in a match.

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

Should the LQ franchise be disbanded?

Considering the current situation of LQ, I feel that Lahore needs a new fresh franchise to represent them.

Lahore has been domestic champions several times and deserve a much better franchise than this.

Should PCB renew its contract with LQ? Or will Atif Rana disband the franchise himself after so many disappointments?

 

[TrentDevil]

Now, i don't want to miss out on memes

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Lahore needs to get a new set up and managing team if they are to continue as a franchise in PSL.

5 continuous years of mediocrity speaks volumes about how shambolically they are running their franchise in every possible way.

They need to get new ideas, new people on board who bring better skills and development skills to the franchise and talent so that they don't continue to embarrass their fans and the name of their team.

 

[minamino]

They should rebrand. Change the name, get rid of the color and change the owners as well.

 

[fasihulhaq94]

yes. seems more like a money laundering front for the owners

 

[Syed1]

LQ's contribution in terms of comedic factor and how much material they provide for memes cannot be understated. We need to have them around.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lahore Qalandars last 7 matches in the PSL:<br><br>Lost<br>Lost<br>Lost<br>Lost<br>Lost<br>Lost<br>Lost<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLV?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLV</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1233471883074588672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lahore Qalandars overall record in the Pakistan Super League:<br><br>Played 39<br>Won 11<br>Lost 28<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1233472179741904898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Energy]

They're not going anywhere unless the owners voluntarily give it up. They have a good buddying lobby going for them and Aqib is available all year round to lead their 'talent' hunt programmes all over Pakistan.

 

[iPakistani]

Lahore Qalandars found Rauf and are now obsessed with the idea of finding players off the streets of Pakistan, this will never work in a league as competitive as the PSL.

Lahore Qalandars are a very poorly run team and franchise, here are some of their MAJOR mistakes:

1. Player acquisition - Maaz Khan, Farzan Raja, Mohammad Faizan. Who are these guys? On top of that Samit Patel, Prasanna, Vilas and Wiese. Absolutely pathetic picks and they deserve to lose every game.

2. Emerging talent - Last year they put in 25 year old Rauf as their emerging player because they found him on the streets, this year it's 27 year old Dilbar. Sure they're good players but for Gods sake go sign some under 23 players and let them play as an ACTUAL emerging player.

3. Random Captain - You've signed Mohammad Hafeez and you still appoint Sohail Akhtar as captain, Sohail Akhtar? Ask 100 people and 99 will appoint Hafeez as captain and the one that doesn't will be a Lahore coach.

4. Coaching disaster - After the revelations about Aqib being a terrible coach and losing 4 seasons in a row, the CLUELESS owner decided there was no changes to be made.

5. DISGUSTING kit - They showed their kit in a game vs MCC just a few days before the PSL and you could tell there was no effort put into it.

6. Empty Gaddafi Stadium - Because of their rubbish performances no one wants to come watch them and this is ruining the quality of the PSL.

Lahore will RUIN Shaheen Afridi, he is the hottest prospect in Pakistan and one of the most exciting prospects in the world and they're bowling him into the dirt. He's diving all over the place for a team that doesn't even care about winning.

 

[last_knight]

I can predict a hash tag from LQ fans to boycott their next Match at Lahore.

 

[sweep_shot]

Not surprised by their performance. Their squad is shockingly bad.

 

[last_knight]

Sooner or later fans will start discussing if Owners, for covering up, actually needed an inside man to fill in for coach and another inside man to fill in for Captain.

 

[unemployedgm]

This is a ridiculous thread. Lahore Qalandars is a private entity. The PCB should only step in if the franchise isn't paying its bills on time.

LQ will improve when Sameen Rana realizes he's not qualified to pick players and coaches. Until that happens don't expect anything to change.

I do agree that it's sad that the two biggest markets in Pakistan have teams that are unlikable.

 

[Pakpak]

Pathetic. I support them as family is from there but its beyond a joke now how Aqib Javed has kept his job. He's completely pathetic and a joke. And Rana instead of attention grabbing by his stupid dancing on the sidelines should pay attention to what's going on in the field.

 

[minamino]

This whole PDP bakwaas started when they won that useless T20 tournament in Abu Dhabi where they selected players from their PDP and thought that they don't require players from Pakistan domestic to win tournaments.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

There were several smart minds that helped put the league together as well as within the other team's organizations.

PCB needs to strongly push the Qalandars to hire one of them within their ranks as a consultant or a promotion from another team.

 

[gazza619]

Sohail Akhtar would struggle to find a place in a Pakistan D team. How the hell was he selected as captain and be expected to inspire the team to win.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Why are people so concerned about the Lahore Qalandars? This is supposed to be a professional T20 league. Everyone has to fend for themselves. That's the whole point of selling teams to rich owners so there is no shortage of financial resources. If you still can't succeed that's down to your own incompetence.

Best case scenario for Lahore here would be new owners, new management and basically a complete reset.

 

[srh]

Lahore is the second-most populous city in Pakistan.

Lahore Qalandars have been down right pathetic, finishing in last place in every year of the PSL.

After the draft this year, the Qalandars were again being projected to finish in last place as they looked like the weakest teams on paper.

In their opening match, the Qalandars, playing for the first time in their home city, put up another weak effort, losing in the same fashion as previous years.

While the memes and Whatsapp jokes have been fun to share and forward, fact is that the league's potential is capped when this big of a market doesn't have a team that is exciting and garners support.

Lahore's team being a joke makes the league look bad and not only is affecting the competitiveness of the tournament, but it also hitting the business side.

They are an economic drag and one of the largest-market teams that is expected to contribute more towards the revenue pool is under performing.

So what should be done?

I have seen some posters say that the team should be taken away from the owners which is immature talk. There are legal agreements that were signed and that sets a terrible precedent that I'm sure the other owners would be wary of.

That being said, despite it being a conflict of interest in some ways, the PCB needs to find some help in the shape of a consultant or something along those lines and strongly "advise" the Qalandars to seek their help.

Fact of the matter is that the league as a whole and the other owners (and their pockets) would be better off for it if there was a strong team in Lahore.

While not exactly the same case, the NBA had to do something similar when after being pushed by other owners, the commissioner more or less forced the Philadelphia 76ers to hire a new chairman of basketball operations and special advise to their managing general partner.

Again, there were calls of foul play and conflicts of interest when this was done, but the NBA is better now because of the Sixers finally putting up a fight each week. Again, they were tanking before, so not the exact same situation, but the benefits can be the same.

Please never ever compare NBA with PCB.

 

[minamino]

First of all, change the name of the team. I don't know who thinks that Lahore has anything to do with qalandari. It would have suited more to a team like Multan. Even Lahori paindoos would be a better name than Qalandars.

 

[Rana]

The sad thing is that the golden boys of Lahore are all at the end of their careers or are not in good form/discipline.

I think The PCB needs to reinstate Babar Azam back to Lahore for a start. The guy is the son of Lahore and then they can rebuild.

I said it again and again. Lahore needed Moeen Ali as their platinum pick and Captain.

 

[last_knight]

This is a ridiculous thread. Lahore Qalandars is a private entity. The PCB should only step in if the franchise isn't paying its bills on time.

LQ will improve when Sameen Rana realizes he's not qualified to pick players and coaches. Until that happens don't expect anything to change.

I do agree that it's sad that the two biggest markets in Pakistan have teams that are unlikable.

Private entity yes, but why they need an inside man each for coach and captain slot.

Captain Mercurial thinks he is playing in a PDP league and it's his job to clap after every six his bowlers concede.

With a lazy captain, eventually players' focus shifts ( not by choice though ) to personal performance. With a Captain like Sohail Akhtar, you will see brilliant individual performances but not good results.

 

[Saj]

Old school planning.

Strange choices of players. They seem to be more interested in their talent hunts and their own profile.

The set-up needs a shake-up from top to bottom.

 

[MenInG]

Question asked by a journalist off team management

"Seems that LQ more interested in their image rather than in their cricket"

Management : "Yes it is true that we are popular outside PSL but we will support Pakistan cricket and PSL as much as we can- This is just a game where some teams play well and other dont; Unfortunately, we have been on the losing side in the games we have played so far but it is my personal view that this team has the capacity to make a comeback"

===

Also begs the question why the LQ management need to be in player pressers in the first place!

 

[Gotham Cronie]

Why are people so concerned about the Lahore Qalandars? This is supposed to be a professional T20 league. Everyone has to fend for themselves. That's the whole point of selling teams to rich owners so there is no shortage of financial resources. If you still can't succeed that's down to your own incompetence.

Because they are no undoubtedly becoming an economic drag for the PSL. As the second-most populous city in Pakistan, the market and revenue potential that a successful Lahore team could generate for the pool is unmeasurable.

There were several smart minds that helped put the league together as well as within the other team's organizations.

PCB needs to strongly push the Qalandars to hire one of them within their ranks as a consultant or a promotion from another team.

 

[Slog]

The sad thing is that the golden boys of Lahore are all at the end of their careers or are not in good form/discipline.

I think The PCB needs to reinstate Babar Azam back to Lahore for a start. The guy is the son of Lahore and then they can rebuild.

I said it again and again. Lahore needed Moeen Ali as their platinum pick and Captain.

In franchise cricket, the biggest teams get the biggest players hence Babar and Amir for Karachi.

I think KK has done well with star names even though they themselves haven’t been great results wise and hence they have maintained support.

In the early PSL seasons I was supporting Quetta gladiators because I felt they were more representative of Karachi but now I’ve tended to warn to KK

 

[Gotham Cronie]

In franchise cricket, the biggest teams get the biggest players

How so?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Because they are no undoubtedly becoming an economic drag for the PSL. As the second-most populous city in Pakistan, the market and revenue potential that a successful Lahore team could generate for the pool is unmeasurable.

There were several smart minds that helped put the league together as well as within the other team's organizations.

PCB needs to strongly push the Qalandars to hire one of them within their ranks as a consultant or a promotion from another team.

any empirical evidence that proves your assertion that they are an "economic drag"? because otherwise its just hearsay.

it is not the PCB's job to intervene; neither should they, nor will they.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

any empirical evidence that proves your assertion that they are an "economic drag"? because otherwise its just hearsay.

it is not the PCB's job to intervene; neither should they, nor will they.

There's discussions in this thread alone about how some casual fans have stopped watching Lahore's matches because of the predictable result. The attendance for Lahore's first ever PSL in match in Lahore was very telling.

It's common sense that putting a garbage product on the field match after match and season after season will not allow the PSL to take full advantage of this market.

The PSL's brand and their pockets won't grow to their potential until Lahore has a strong team.

If the PCB won't intervene, at some point the other owners will because at some point the pie they are splitting needs to grow.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

There's discussions in this thread alone about how some casual fans have stopped watching Lahore's matches because of the predictable result. The attendance for Lahore's first ever PSL in match in Lahore was very telling.

It's common sense that putting a garbage product on the field match after match and season after season will not allow the PSL to take full advantage of this market.

The PSL's brand and their pockets won't grow to their potential until Lahore has a strong team.

If the PCB won't intervene, at some point the other owners will because at some point the pie they are splitting needs to grow.

So basically your empirical evidence is the opinion of a few posters on this board and what you call "common sense". Nice.

 

[Gotham Cronie]

So basically your empirical evidence is the opinion of a few posters on this board and what you call "common sense". Nice.

You're right. Common sense with anybody with a degree of economic knowledge.