How Lahore Qalandars Built a Balanced and Powerful Squad.
The Pakistan Super League Season 11 (2026) marks the beginning of a new journey. The event will now be played with 8 teams instead of 6.

For the Pakistan Super League, which began in 2016, players have been selected through an auction this time instead of the traditional draft system. However, this new method is still being debated.

Will selecting teams in this manner be better and more appropriate, or was the previous draft system more suitable?

The eight franchises participating in the Pakistan Super League have selected their squads through the auction. Each team management made their picks according to their strategy and homework.

However, in this context, if we talk about the defending champions, the Lahore Qalandars, they rightly appear to have built a balanced and strong squad.

Before the auction, the Lahore Qalandars retained four players: captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abdullah Shafique, Muhammad Naeem, and Zimbabwe T20 captain Sikandar Raza.

In fact, this was a relatively difficult phase for the franchise, just like it was for the other teams. As a result of this decision, the three-time champions had to release their poster boy Haris Rauf and aggressive batter Fakhar Zaman into the auction pool.

Regarding this, Lahore Qalandars’ owners Atif Rana and Sameen Rana said that it was indeed a very difficult decision. The franchise invested ten years of time and resources in building a team, nurturing players from the grassroots level to the international stage. However, they emphasized that abiding by the rules and regulations of the Pakistan Cricket Board is mandatory, and they respect those regulations.

However, in the auction, the world witnessed that the Lahore Qalandars set an example of loyalty toward both players. They bought back both cricketers for a significant amount, not only making them part of the team again but also sending a clear message through the platform of the Pakistan Super League that the Qalandars believe in action, not just words.

During the auction, the homework and preparation of Sameen Rana owner, Chief Operating Officer, and manager of the Lahore Qalandars resulted in the formation of a strong and balanced squad, proving them, on paper, to be one of the best teams.

Especially in the absence of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain, Lahore Qalandars made a very smart move by selecting Sialkot’s leg-break bowler Usama Mir.

Although the Lahore Qalandars squad already includes big names like captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, the Qalandars have further strengthened their pace attack through direct signings.

They brought in Bangladesh’s experienced fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, and in the Emerging category selected Test fast bowler Naseem Shah’s brother, Ubaid Shah, thereby placing their fast bowling unit in an extremely strong position.

For the 2026 season of the Pakistan Super League, Lahore Qalandars’ selected squad is receiving widespread appreciation. In fact, it appears to be a balanced and strong lineup. Under the captaincy of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Lahore Qalandars’ squad for PSL 2026 consists of the following players:

• Abdullah Shafiq
• Sikandar Raza
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (Captain)
• Muhammad Naeem
• Mustafizur Rahman
• Haris Rauf
• Usama Mir
• Haseebullah Khan (Wicketkeeper)
• Ubaid Shah
• Fakhar Zaman
• Mohammad Farooq
• Dasun Shanaka
• Parvez Hossain Emon
• Asif Ali
• Gudakesh Motie
• Tayyab Tahir
• Hussain Talat