[VIDEOS] Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain of Lahore Qalandars - performance watch

[MenInG]

Lahore Qalandars, is proud to announce that Pakistan’s star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will be their new captain.

Shaheen Afridi made his PSL debut with Lahore Qalandars in 2018 and since then he has been an integral part of the team. He is leading wicket taker for Lahore Qalandars in HBL-PSL with a total tally of 50 PSL wickets in 37 games.

Shaheen Shah Afridi replaces Sohail Akhtar who led the side in last two editions. Akhtar led Qalandars also played the final of PSL-V.

Shaheen ended the year 2021 as most successful bowler in international cricket with 78 wickets across all formats.

Commenting on Afridi’s appointment as captain, Aqib Javed, the Director Cricket Operations and Head Coach of Lahore Qalandars said: “We are very happy to appoint him as captain of Lahore Qalandars and looking forward to see his wonders both with ball and his leadership skills. He has been with us since 2018 and this is the right time to provide him the opportunity to lead the Lahore Qalandars’ young outfit.”

Shaheen Afridi was equally excited on his appointment. the pace sensation said that Qalandars will continue to play exciting cricket.

“I am very excited to be named as captain of Lahore Qalandars this year. We have a very balanced side with all the bases covered, we will try our best to bring the trophy home for Lahore Qalandars’ fans this year.” he said.

Mr. Sameen Rana, COO of the franchise and Team Manager of Qalandars congratulated Shaheen on his appointment and recalled the journey of fast bowler with LQ.

“I still remember the day when an 18-year-old boy came to Lahore Qalandars squad for the first time, that boy - Shaheen Shah Afridi - is today the most sought-after fast bowler in the world by teams. One thing that impressed us all is his excellent leadership skill and his humility. It’s a remarkable journey for Shaheen becoming the premium fast bowler in the world and I wish him good luck,” Mr Rana said.

 

[angrypathan]

Don’t think he’s quite ready for captaincy but wish him all the best

 

[Mamoon]

Is Sohail Akhtar playing as a player or is the scam finally over? Unbelievable how he managed to survive for so long.

 

[Kraetoz]

Is Sohail Akhtar playing as a player or is the scam finally over? Unbelievable how he managed to survive for so long.

Playing

 

[Kaddy]

I think they were forced to change the captain.

 

[Rana]

Is Sohail Akhtar playing as a player or is the scam finally over? Unbelievable how he managed to survive for so long.

Still a better T20 option than Imam ul Haq )

 

[finalfantasy7]

looking at the players Lahore has, they are missing a mature/ prime individual who has any proper experience -

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rashid Khan, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Akhtar, Zeeshan Ashraf, Ahmed Daniyal, Fakhar Zaman, Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Dean Foxcroft, Zaman Khan, Maaz Khan, Samit Patel, Syed Faridoun

None of the above match a captaincy material

 

[DeadlyVenom]

He seems quite immature and dare I say it quite dumb aswell. He also has lost the plot a couple of times in the field.

I'd much rather he played under a more experienced captain for a few seasons so he can develop his bowling.

 

[Rana]

looking at the players Lahore has, they are missing a mature/ prime individual who has any proper experience -

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rashid Khan, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Akhtar, Zeeshan Ashraf, Ahmed Daniyal, Fakhar Zaman, Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Dean Foxcroft, Zaman Khan, Maaz Khan, Samit Patel, Syed Faridoun

None of the above match a captaincy material

David Weise is a perfect candidate. He is a proper gentleman and a well experienced, seasoned cricketer. Plus, he is a clutch player for Lahore Qalandars.

David Weise over SSA any day as a captain. I wouldn’t be surprised if Weise is the one Shaheen reluctantly consults the most anyways

 

[Omer2002]

Defo isnt captaincy material especially when he cant take reviews himself properly never mind when he is captain

 

[Kaddy]

looking at the players Lahore has, they are missing a mature/ prime individual who has any proper experience -

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rashid Khan, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Akhtar, Zeeshan Ashraf, Ahmed Daniyal, Fakhar Zaman, Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Dean Foxcroft, Zaman Khan, Maaz Khan, Samit Patel, Syed Faridoun

None of the above match a captaincy material

oh but they have an experienced player who is blessed to be very good in all three facets of the game

 

[finalfantasy7]

David Weise is a perfect candidate. He is a proper gentleman and a well experienced, seasoned cricketer. Plus, he is a clutch player for Lahore Qalandars.

David Weise over SSA any day as a captain. I wouldn’t be surprised if Weise is the one Shaheen reluctantly consults the most anyways

i disagree - he's a decent player , but plays a bit too at a lower level for my liking to be made a captain

 

[finalfantasy7]

oh but they have an experienced player who is blessed to be very good in all three facets of the game

lol, he's the first one on my list who i wouldn't pick

 

[Ami]

Horrible decision.
He may be a very good bowler, but awareness wise he seems zilch!

 

[shujaatraza]

Yes he gets flustered very quickly maybe captaincy will teach him some calmness. At least he is a better option than Sohail Akhtar whose name we only hear during PSL.

 

[TeymurBlake]

This was probably the most obvious choice to captain.

 

[Rellu_Katta]

SSA has been the most improved cricketer in terms of game sense ...

He protrays himself as "the man" ... congratulating not only Pakistani players but also the oppositon

yes, he lost plot against Aus in semi-finla but he is just 20 or 21

he is the man...

Qalandars couldnt have done better than hi

 

[shamaan]

Right decision Pakistan need future leaders and they can only be developed when you give them that opportunity.

 

[Saj]

I'm not sure this is the right decision.

Too soon perhaps, I'd rather he was just told to concentrate on demolishing opposition batting line ups.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

A sound decision by LQ. And here's why.

Back in 90s, early 2000s when England were still floundering, the ECB commissioned a review to see how England's performances could be improved. The biggest change this review brought was the central contracts system, but another active finding was the lack of England players captaining their county sides at the time. It can't be overstated enough how much captaining out of the glare of the spotlight helps individuals become more responsible and think more about their own game. A dressing room is stronger when leaders can be found everywhere. And that type of grooming can only be done in domestic cricket.

I remember India using a similar example, where after the first few seasons, almost all IPL captains were Indian. People like Kohli, Sharma, Rahane Gambhir and Ashwin were all leading their respective teams. Thus when the Indian captaincy went from Dhoni to Kohli, Kohli had had some experience. Sharma will similarly benefit now and Rahane benefited during the Australia series.

So it's good that PSL teams are giving Pakistan players captaincy opportunities. It'll only have a beneficial effect for Rizwan, Babar, Shadab and now SSA.

Also, Given that SSA is always with Pakistan, the only chance he then gets to captain, is in the PSL. So, whilst I don't know how fruitful this will be for LQ, but it will be great for Shaheen's own development as a cricketer.

 

[Kraetoz]

I'm not sure this is the right decision.

Too soon perhaps, I'd rather he was just told to concentrate on demolishing opposition batting line ups.

Good decision. Since you aren't making him Skipper of the National team. Franchise cricket is just for fun, money and entertainment. I am glad we have franchise cricket to experiment things.

It's a good decision because your captain should be the best player in your team. After Babar the best player in your team is and will be SSA for foreseeable future. Otherwise you would be making Shan/Imad/Sarfraz type players(and their likes after 7-8 years) your skipper, who are nowhere near your best players in the team but you have to carry that dead weight along with your team just because they are Captain.

 

[Artaxerxes]

It is too early to make him the captain.He is a good player but you need to be a good tactician esp in the longer formats.I guess experienced players around him can help him with field placing a and bowling changes.It is T20 so no need to be too serious.

 

[krazystrong]

Good for him to captain and get experience in inconsequential tourneys like these. Will help him at the international stage.

 

[moghul]

This will backfire, poor decision , Shaheen is still learning the art of bowling , does not need any additional distraction/burden.

 

[MenInG]

Shahid Afridi speaking on TV:

“Other teams have already set the example of naming a junior player as captain, in presence of senior players. Look at MS Dhoni for instance, he led a team which included players like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly but he did exceptionally well"

“I had advised Shaheen to wait for a year or two before accepting captaincy, so that he can focus more on his bowling. But as he is also an Afridi, he didn’t listen to me"

“Having said that, I’m happy that he has decided to accept this responsibility and I hope that he proves me wrong"

 

[Ami]

Unusually sound advice from one Afridi to another; however, quite usual that one Afridi didn't accept the advice from the other Afridi...

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Don't know if it's the right choice or wrong but LQ usually make the popular fan choices.

 

[MenInG]

Shaheen busy training for PSL 7

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[Slim]

Supporting LQ especially because SSA is captain. Godspeed!

 

[Forum363]

Man, this guy reallly is a SUPERSTAR. His bowling but also his all round fitness. For a tall pacer, especially one from Pakistan - he is incredibly athletic.

Not to mention he’s actually close to his stated age. Liking the beard look.

 

[Saj]

Today's additional players and partial replacements for Lahore Qalandars:

In supplementary round: Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Akif Javed (both Silver).

In replacement round: Ben Dunk (Gold)

 

[shamaan]

Abdullah Shafique
Fakhar Zaman
Zeeshan Ashraf
Hafeez
Kamran Ghullam
Dunk F
Weise F
Rashid F
Shaheen
Rauf
Zaman Khan E

 

[Maher96]

Randawha could become a handy player for qalandars. But overall seems like the same team.

Fakhar
Abdullulah
Hafeez
Dunk
Akhtar
Wiese
Samit
Rashid
Shaheen
Haris
Zaman

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Hafeez speaking to the media:

"I wish Shaheen Shah Afridi all the best and this is a great opportunity for him to prove himself as a leader"

"As a bowler he has already proved himself to the world and we are all his fans, and I am sure we will support him in this case as well"

"When he spoke to me, I advised him to enjoy his cricket and told him that we are all there to help him if he finds anything too difficult to handle and will take pressure off him if needed"

"I am sure he will enjoy himself in this role and on a personal note, I am praying for his success"

"He is my teammate and whatever I understand of the game, I will pass on to Shaheen but I am sure he will do a great job as his understanding of the game is very strong"

"From my experience of playing alongside him in international cricket, I can say that you dont need to advise him too much about how to deliver"

"So I am sure if someone who is so successful at the international level can also succeed in this role"

"If someone is effected by Covid-19 then the PSL should not be stopped or postponed due to that, instead the effected person should be separated from the team or tournament, and the tournament should continue as normal as nothing is to be gained by postponing it, as rescheudling it becomes a tough job as we saw last time as we could not enjoy the tournament when we held the remaining games in the UAE"

 

[MenInG]

Debut as captain today - expectations?

 

[Coolcapri]

MS favorite

 

[MenInG]

Big test for Afridi to concentrate on his bowling and lead the side

 

[asadee]

Looking clueless at the moment

 

[Rana]

Looking clueless at the moment

He will be forever. The guy doesn’t have the mental capacity to captain a club team

 

[Saj]

Seems like a lot of captains out there for LQ.

Tough start for Shaheen.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shaheen Shah Afridi "I'm taking advice from senior players as I'm captaining for the first time and I will make mistakes. So I take advice from my team-mates, listen to them and then make my decisions" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSL7?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSL7</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1487858335177134090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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[MenInG]

Brilliant from Shaheen to help Zaman in the final over

 

[Saj]

Very impressive today.

Managed the bowlers really well and field placings mostly spot on.

 

[Savak]

He was very cool, in fact very jovial and relaxed under pressure. Even Shadab has held his cool in pressure situations.

Sarfaraz watch and learn.

 

[Saj]

His finest hour today.

I wasn't sure about him as skipper, but what he showed today was a cool and calm head and never panicked at all.

Good signs.

 

[MenInG]

Not much he can do against Jason Roy!

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shaheen Shah Afridi "No one drops a catch deliberately and such things are part of the game and this is why I believe any player who drops a catch needs support and encouragement. This is what I do, give encouragement to the bowler and to the fielder" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSL7?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSL7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LQvsMS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LQvsMS</a> <a href="https://t.co/NOoBqrdIxc">pic.twitter.com/NOoBqrdIxc</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1492212488372379659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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[Savak]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shaheen Shah Afridi "No one drops a catch deliberately and such things are part of the game and this is why I believe any player who drops a catch needs support and encouragement. This is what I do, give encouragement to the bowler and to the fielder" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSL7?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSL7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LQvsMS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LQvsMS</a> <a href="https://t.co/NOoBqrdIxc">pic.twitter.com/NOoBqrdIxc</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1492212488372379659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Sarfaraz, learn.

 

[PakEngFan]

He will be forever. The guy doesn’t have the mental capacity to captain a club team

I wouldn’t comment on someone’s metal capacity specially considering when you want Sharjeel over Rizwan and stating he’s rubbish. Give it a rest.

 

[Saj]

Another good match for Shaheen against MS ending their unbeaten record.

Good bowling changes and I like the way he is handing Zaman Khan and giving him license to attack and encouraging him.

 

[Bewal Express]

Looks very relaxed as Captain. He has surprised me with his demeanour and looks to have given himself a chance as a future leader

 

[Major]

Many of us are surprised with the way the guy is captaining. No one expected this. I would say lets see how he captains under pressure situations but uptil now, this kid has impressed me.. unbelievable

Sarfraz ahmed should work under him and learn

 

[Maher96]

Fakhar with the bat and seniors are chipping in. He has the whole teams support and they are playing like they enjoying it.

Really liked today how he went over to encourage Brook when he dropped the catch. Fantastic sigh of maturity.

 

[shamaan]

Compared to his first couple games he's now actually starting to make decisions himself well done.

 

[zacattakk]

Happily surprised by how he has been handling the captaincy. Hope he continues to learn and improve. Impressive so far

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I have my utmost respect and admiration for this man. It's always a pleasure to share the field with him, be as teammates or as opposition. Always very competitive yet so humble and friendly, he's set the benchmark for everyone. A proper role model. <a href="https://t.co/8Y6fzW4ylm">pic.twitter.com/8Y6fzW4ylm</a></p>— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) <a href="https://twitter.com/iShaheenAfridi/status/1492427046970142720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Leading from the front

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[Firebat]

Leading from the front

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Captain running riot in the first over!

 

[Slim]

After six seasons of PSL, Lahore has finally managed to get all the pieces right. Shaheen is so damn brilliant. Hes not only quicly establishing himself as the best bowler in the world but he is showcasing some class leadership skills as well.

I am so glad that now we basically have four leaders in the team - Babar, Rizwan, Shadab and Shaheen. All young leaders who are good at their core jobs as well.

SSA is truly a gem.

 

[Slim]

One thing i like about Lahore and Islamabad is that it feels like a family more than a team when i see them play. The chemistry is fantastic. Fakhar is also another leader that i missed. We basically have some fantastic world class players in our team now. In the olden days, we had a big void of leadership and world class talent and i am glad thats not the case anymore.

 

[Slim]

He will be forever. The guy doesn’t have the mental capacity to captain a club team

Disgustingly ignorant comment. Not the first time that you will be eating your words, my friend.

 

[Slim]

Best part about today's match was how Shaheen took on Roy and dominated him. Like you could see Roy was rattled to see Shaheen running up the crease to bowl him. Thats what happens when one of world's best is bowling at you.

 

[Maher96]

Fakhar Zaman on SSA captaincy:

"Look his skills as a bowler are known to all of us as is the way he has proven himself and also proved his worth as well; His captaincy has really improved since the start of the tournament; As a senior player, I always keep an eye on any mistakes he makes as a captain in every match we play and I can tell you that compared to the matches at the start of the tournament and now, there has been a huge difference in Shaheen Shah Afridi and he is improving day by day"

 

[Maher96]

 

[shamaan]

Shaheen is a magician .

 

[Last Monetarist]

Hit 22 off the final over today to lead Lahore to a super over:

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[James]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SHAHEEN AFRIDIIII YOU BEAUTYYY!!! <a href="https://t.co/RPv9ui2lNp">pic.twitter.com/RPv9ui2lNp</a></p>— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1495832686975463428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Saj]

One thing is for sure, he's not afraid of the responsibility. In fact he seems to be enjoying the added pressure.

 

[Punjab Kings]

Oh my God.......
Dear Pakistan please give us Shaheen Afridi, we will give you Kohli, Sharma, jadeja

 

[Daoud]

His outfield catching has been pretty good as well. He's definitely thrived under the added responsibility

 

[Slim]

What an absolute revelation he has been. This lad keeps on improving every single day. Thriving under the leadership and clearly seems to be enjoying it. Becoming a strong contender for future captaincy for sure.

 

[MenInG]

Think Haris Rauf will be his management challenge in the seasons to come.

 

[shamaan]

Shaheen is a superstar already have stated he will break many records.

 

[Savak]

Shaheen looks like a good man manager. The sort of captain who knows how to motivate and get the best out of players.

 

[ElRaja]

i get worried when i see a player develop like him, have had so many false dawns as a pak fan, seems kinda surreal how he appears to be growing, mentally, physically and technically.

just hope his workload is managed and he stays fit.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Look, I have an unpopular opinion, but despite the fact Shaheen has had a fantastic tournament, and been brilliant captain, I don't want him to be captain after this season, because simply, you can't have a young, Pakistani fast bowler as your captain, they are just way too emotional and get angry quickly after a small mistake. We saw it in eliminator 2 where Shaheen raged big time after bowling leg-side 4 ball.

And Mark Haysman was saying correctly, he must calm himself down, and also he mentioned that David Wiese started helping in cpaciancy. However, to be fair, Shaneen has actually managed to keep himself calm almost all of the time, credit to him. But still, David Wiese should be captain next season, at most, make Shaheen the vice-captain.

The only Pakistan Fast bowlers I would be willing to give captaincy role to (For whatever team):
- Muhammad Abbas
- Umaid Asif
- Wahab Riaz
- Rumman Raees
- Faheem Ashraf

Regardless, congrats to Shaheen on making it to the final, bring it home for the Qalandars!

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shaheen Shah Afridi's leadership during PSL7 was fantastic. A young skipper who led from the front, supported his players and united the team <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLFinal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLFinal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LQvsMS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LQvsMS</a> <a href="https://t.co/P2qsZD9cDK">pic.twitter.com/P2qsZD9cDK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1498001904412110859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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[zacattakk]

Look, I have an unpopular opinion, but despite the fact Shaheen has had a fantastic tournament, and been brilliant captain, I don't want him to be captain after this season, because simply, you can't have a young, Pakistani fast bowler as your captain, they are just way too emotional and get angry quickly after a small mistake. We saw it in eliminator 2 where Shaheen raged big time after bowling leg-side 4 ball.

And Mark Haysman was saying correctly, he must calm himself down, and also he mentioned that David Wiese started helping in cpaciancy. However, to be fair, Shaneen has actually managed to keep himself calm almost all of the time, credit to him. But still, David Wiese should be captain next season, at most, make Shaheen the vice-captain.

The only Pakistan Fast bowlers I would be willing to give captaincy role to (For whatever team):
- Muhammad Abbas
- Umaid Asif
- Wahab Riaz
- Rumman Raees
- Faheem Ashraf

Regardless, congrats to Shaheen on making it to the final, bring it home for the Qalandars!

Wahab Riaz is a terrible captain

 

[shamaan]

Look, I have an unpopular opinion, but despite the fact Shaheen has had a fantastic tournament, and been brilliant captain, I don't want him to be captain after this season, because simply, you can't have a young, Pakistani fast bowler as your captain, they are just way too emotional and get angry quickly after a small mistake. We saw it in eliminator 2 where Shaheen raged big time after bowling leg-side 4 ball.

And Mark Haysman was saying correctly, he must calm himself down, and also he mentioned that David Wiese started helping in cpaciancy. However, to be fair, Shaneen has actually managed to keep himself calm almost all of the time, credit to him. But still, David Wiese should be captain next season, at most, make Shaheen the vice-captain.

The only Pakistan Fast bowlers I would be willing to give captaincy role to (For whatever team):
- Muhammad Abbas
- Umaid Asif
- Wahab Riaz
- Rumman Raees
- Faheem Ashraf

Regardless, congrats to Shaheen on making it to the final, bring it home for the Qalandars!

I disagree I would stil keep Shaheen as captain and have weise as vise captain.

 

[transparent opacity]

Shaheen Afridi beats Steve Smith, Rohit Sharma to script huge T20 world record after Lahore Qalandars win PSL title
Lahore had failed to qualify for the playoffs in five of their first six seasons and finished as the runners up in 2020 before winning the elusive trophy in 2022.

Pakistan pace sensation Shaheen Afridi on Sunday beat Australia's Steve Smith and India captain Rohit Sharma to script a huge world record in T20 cricket after he led Lahore Qalandars to their maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) title win against Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium.

With the title win, 21-year-old Afridi became the youngest captain to win a major T20 league in the world, beating Smith, who at the age of 22 had led Sydney Sixers to a win in Big Bash League in 2012, and Rohit, who had guided Mumbai Indians to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) victory in 2013 at the age of 26.

Lahore had failed to qualify for the playoffs in five of their first six seasons and finished as the runners up in 2020 before winning the elusive trophy in 2022.

Opting to bat first in front of their home crowd, Lahore lost three wickets in the powerplay before Mohammed Hafeez's 46-ball 69 revived the innings allowing Harry Brook and David Wiese to add the finishing touches. Brook laced two boundaries and three sixes in his 22-ball 41 while Wiese hit another 8-ball 28 as Lahore finished with 180 for five in 20 overs.

In reply, the Sultans, who had finished top of the points table in the league stage with just one defeat, had gotten off to a steady start but the middle-order crumbled under pressure. Pacer Zaman Khan struck twice to rattle the middle order before Afridi's triple blow to the lower order ended Multan Sultans' struggle, folding them for 138 run in 19.3 overs.

"It's a great achievement. We have been waiting for 6 years and I want to thank the Lahore crowd. They have come out in numbers and supported us throughout. A lot of people supported me, Hafeez guided me during lot of pressure moments so thanks to all who supported me. The fight we showed as a team throughout the tournament is really fantastic and we had that attitude to fight till the last ball," Afridi said in the post-match presentation.

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