Umar leaves Lahore in blockbuster PSL trade

karachi — 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.” —

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

PCB spokesperson