Umar Akmal leaves Lahore Qalandars in blockbuster PSL trade
Beleaguered batsman Umar Akmal and spin wizard Sunil Narine will be moving from Lahore Qalandars to Quetta Gladiators as part of a blockbuster trade between the two Pakistan Super League (PSL) sides.
In return, pace bowler Rahat Ali and young left-arm spinner Hassan Khan have moved from Quetta Gladiators to Lahore Qalandars, said a spokesperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday.
“Narine, who played two seasons for the Qalandars in 2017 and 2018, brings a wealth of experience with 299 T20 appearances and 342 wickets across different leagues and tournaments in the world”, he said.
The spokesperson said Umar Akmal's move to Quetta Gladiators marks a new chapter in the talented batsman's T20 career who will be looking to improve on his performances from last year. Akmal, 28, had an unimpressive run last year but his overall tally of 556 runs at a strike rate of 138 in 20 PSL matches brings more batting depth to the Gladiators.
“This deal will also see Lahore taking Quetta's first round Platinum pick and Quetta getting Lahore's Silver round pick in the second round,” he added.
Meanwhile Sameer Rana, COO Lahore Qalandars said “On behalf of the Lahore Qalandars management and fans, we would like to thank Sunil and Umar for their services to the team.
They added tremendous value to the Qalandars and I wish them well on this next chapter in their PSL careers. We are very excited to welcome Rahat Ali and Hassan Khan to the Qalandars family.
Rahat showed what he is capable of with the ball in this format with his excellent bowling last year and Hassan has impressed everyone with his determination and calmness on the field.”
Nadeem Omar, team owner Quetta Gladiators said: “Sunil Narine and Umar Akmal are world-class additions to the Gladiators squad ahead of PSL season 4. Sunil Narine is a magician with the ball and one of the best match winners when in T20 cricket.
"Umar Akmal, too, remains one of the most destructive batsmen in Pakistan and he will add much-needed firepower to our batting. I would also like to thank Hassan Khan and Rahat Ali for being exemplary ambassadors for Quetta Gladiators. Both these talented cricketers will always have a special place in the Gladiators family."
