[EXCLUSIVE] "Shaheen Shah Afridi doesn't need to prove anything": Sameen Rana

[FearlessRoar]

Sameen Rana, Chief Operating Officer and Team Director of Lahore Qalandars, joined Saj for an exclusive interview with PakPassion, offering valuable insights into PSL 10, Lahore Qalandars’ squad strategy, and the challenges facing Pakistan cricket.

Drawing from his extensive experience in franchise management and player development, Sameen discusses key decisions, including why Lahore Qalandars opted for Daryl Mitchell over David Warner, and the frustration surrounding the ban of English players from PSL while they're allowed in IPL.

He also addresses Shaheen Afridi’s captaincy controversy and the bold move to schedule PSL alongside IPL. With a focus on Lahore Qalandars' exceptional player development system and plans for a strong comeback, Sameen reflects on the growing fan base and the potential future of PSL, including home-and-away fixtures.

Main topics covered in this interview:

Insights on Lahore Qalandars' squad composition: Shares his perspective on the strength and balance of the Lahore Qalandars' squad, including key player selections and strategic moves for the upcoming season.

Picking Daryl Mitchell: This section dives into the rationale behind choosing Daryl Mitchell over David Warner for the team, discussing Mitchell's unique skill set and how it aligns with the Qalandars' vision.

The overlap of the schedules between PSL and IPL: Reflects on the ongoing issue of the PSL and IPL overlapping, discussing the implications for player availability and how the Qalandars manage such scheduling conflicts.

Darren Gough’s impact as Qalandars' coach: A discussion on Darren Gough’s influence on the team as Lahore Qalandars' coach, including his approach to player development and leadership on and off the field.

PSL’s growth: a 10-year journey: Looks back at the growth and evolution of PSL over the last decade, discussing the league's impact on Pakistan cricket and its future prospects.

Strategic plans for Lahore Qalandars' success: Plans and goals for the Lahore Qalandars, as Sameen outlines how the team aims to build on past performances and improve in the upcoming seasons.

The ever-growing Lahore Qalandars' fan base: Talks about the loyal and passionate fan base of Lahore Qalandars, how they contribute to the team’s success, and the increasing support the franchise is receiving.

Watch the full interview here:

 

[The Bald Eagle]

ECB's duplicitous stand on players availability for IPL but not PSL is really abhorrent. But still LQ have a decent squad but tbh average bowlers barring Rashid Khan

 

[BunnyRabbit]

What if these owners are given the reigns for fc teams as well? Maybe the players will start concentrating on tests too

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

the whole point of sport is that you have to constantly prove that you are really good at what you do & deserve the limelight.

 

[zaidihusain]

the whole point of sport is that you have to constantly prove that you are really good at what you do & deserve the limelight.

This is required in almost field where are supposed to compete with others. Shaheen is 24-year-old only, he has won couple of PSL titles but his international performance has declined badly. Yes, he won some occasional games, but he hasn't performed well in any international tournament. This statement from Sameen Rana doesn't make any sense, Shaheen is playing international cricket for more than 7 years and he has to prove a lot

 

[Deewana Mastana]

This is literally what is wrong with the Pakistani mindset - 2 league titles and nothing in international and they're like he's a champion and does not need to prove anything.

This is what differentiates Pakistani players from the rest of the teams - the mindset, I have always said this because our players don't want to improve or make changes to their game. Nobody is perfect!

 

[LordJames]

Yes he does! He hasn't done much on the International scene for nearly two years.

He isn't a superstar, he is a bang average Cricketer who is quickly deteriorating...

If he doesn't improve, he will be playing just leagues around the world.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Shaheen has done nothing in test cricket.

 

[pakistani pride]

Shaheen has done nothing in test cricket.

Forget Test cricket, that is too much for them. SSA has been a flop on the Int stage for like 2 years.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Forget Test cricket, that is too much for them. SSA has been a flop on the Int stage for like 2 years.

He has been good in ODI and T20I but honestly performance in those formats doesn't matter to me outside of ICC tournaments

 

[FearlessRoar]

IMO these reasons are not enough. We need to raise the standard of the PSL so that a star like Rashid Khan always prefers us.

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[BouncerGuy]

Champions Trophy has started so Shaheen does have a point to prove that he is a world class bowler and can win his team games + tournaments.

 

[Sherlock]

Never have I seen someone not bothered by their lack of performances than I have Shaheen.

Hes been worse than poor since his injury return.

Today he got hit for four 6s in an over and you could see in his body language he didn't have a clue how to stop the bleeding. All we see his him running in quicker everytime he's hit for a boundary.

The man is an embarrassment. He's not once performed outside of playing against the proverbial minnows.

He should be the first player on the list to remove from all forms of cricket and told to get back into domedtic circuit and iron out his deficiencies.

Instead they continue to play him and he continues to perform as expected.

 

[Kianig89]

Pathetic he is the leader of the pack

 

[TeymurBlake]

His first over was good but after that, he lost the plot once the batters attack him.

He doesn't seem that interested in playing right now.

Maybe he was expecting the captaincy after CT'25.

 

[Master Blaster]

His performance in the field is as per his actual age in the wild.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Unconfirmed reports coming in Salman Agha did not want Shaheen in the squad, as his attitude ruins the team environment.

Zaka Ashraf deserves full credit for destroying whatever cricket these players were capable of.

 

[JaDed]

More than Babar -Riz this guy has been absolutely terrible.
Babar Riz get a lot of flak but seems like majority old time Pak posters are in denial of how bad he has gotten.

 

[sugumarrising]

He doesn't need to prove to anyone, because he is already Wasim Akram class, greatest bowler of all time.