Blow for Lahore Qalandars as Rashid Khan ruled out of entire PSL 9

Afghanistan spin-wizard Rashid Khan will miss the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as Lahore Qalandars' Chief Executive confirmed the same. The star leg-spinner underwent surgery for his back and is still in recovery, forcing him to inform the franchise of his unavailability for the 9th edition of the league.

Having made his PSL debut in 2021, the Afghan player has taken 44 wickets in 28 matches at 15.47 alongside an economy rate of 6.13. The 25-year-old was the leading wicket-taker for the Qalandars in the 2023 edition, picking up 20 wickets in 11 matches at 14.05 apiece as the franchise lifted their 2nd consecutive title under the captaincy of Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Qalandars' Chief Executive Atif Rana released a statement, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.pk:

"It is upsetting that we have been deprived of Rashid Khan. He is a big name and a match-winner. No one can replace Rashid completely. Efforts will be made to include a good player in the squad in place of Rashid."

With the Nangarhar-born cricketer's absence being a significant miss for the Qalandars, they must look for a like-for-like replacement.

"When he is ready, he will be the first one to get on the field" - Jonathan Trott on Rashid Khan

With the youngster also missing the ongoing T20I series against India, head coach Jonathan Trott said there was no real timeline on the leggie's return and doesn't want to rush him back. Trott said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:

"It is a case of us making sure that we are really careful with his back. He is such an influential player, we have to make sure he is 100 per cent ready and not rush him back from that type of surgery. It is important to give him the right time and he is working extremely hard and he is here with the team."

He added:

"He is very passionate and dedicated to the Afghan national side. When he is ready, he will be the first one to get on the field. He has got a few more appointments and check-ups to make sure everything is okay. So there is no real time frame. I hope it is sooner rather than later. But there is no pressure and no rush."

PSL 9 begins from February 17th, with the Qalandars facing Islamabad United in the tournament opener.