Lahore Qalandars have similar struggles to that of RCB and DC - Aaqib Javed
Lahore Qalandars' head coach Aaqib Javed has likened his team’s struggles in the PSL with that of IPL franchises Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC).
Following the Qalandars' failure to win PSL 6, the 48-year-old conceded that he doesn’t have a concrete answer for his team's failure to win the competition.
Lahore Qalandars have only made it to one PSL final in six appearances since the competition's inception in 2016. They have bowed out in the group stage on five occasions, with their best performance being their run to the final in 2020.
Speaking with Cricket Pakistan on their YouTube channel, Javed admitted that it was justified for fans to be unhappy with the Lahore Qalandars’ failures.
“It is valid for fans to be unhappy. Sometimes things get stuck, and that has been the case for the last six years. If you look at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, they are such a big team. You have Punjab Kings, and even the Delhi side have changed their name from Delhi Daredevils to Delhi Capitals. These teams haven’t won the IPL in 12 years. Sometimes you get stuck, and I don’t know what’s the reason why some teams do not click,” Aaqib Javed said.
Over the years, Lahore Qalandars have had several international stars play for the franchise. The likes of Dwayne Bravo, Brendon McCullum and AB de Villiers have turned out for the team, but the Qalandars have failed to win the PSL title.
Lahore Qalandars suffered a spectacular implosion in PSL 2021, despite having players like Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez. The franchise won five out of their first six games in PSL 2021 but lost their next four to finish fifth in the table.
Aaqib Javed hits out at Shoaib Akhtar’s Lahore Qalandars claims
The Lahore Qalandars head coach also took a dig at Shoaib Akhtar. The former cricketer slammed the Lahore Qalandars owners, with Akhtar exhorting them to sell the franchise to him. Addressing Akhtar’s comments, Aaqib Javed hit back saying that it is easier to make claims from the outside.
“If you are an analyst on TV, it is your right to criticise someone if they aren’t performing well. It is their work. But it felt peculiar when Shoaib Akhtar said that he would have won two titles if he was there. If a big and experienced coach who has been in the game for 10-20 years and won several titles says this, it makes sense," said Javed.
"But you can’t say anything to those who haven’t done the job. It always seems easy from the outside. The owners have bid for this team. They have invested millions of dollars and have future commitments as well. How can they hand over the responsibility of the franchise to someone else like that? This is professional work, it is not a joke,” Javed concluded.
With season six of the PSL now over, the Qalandars will look to regroup and make a positive impact in the next edition of the league.