Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been roped in by the Lahore Qalandars in direct signing to play in the forthcoming Pakistan Super League, confirmed the franchise on Thursday
Mustafiz has been bagged by Lahore, the defending champion of the league, for PKR 6.44 crore, which amounts to around Tk 2 crore 82 lakh. The first ever auction in the history of the league will take place on February 11.
‘Once a Qalandar, always a Qalandar. Mustafizur is not just a player; he’s a brother, a key part of our family who never left,’ Sameen Rana, the Lahore owner, said.
‘We are thrilled to welcome him back to our dressing room. His talent, experience, and dedication will be invaluable as we aim to defend our title and make a statement in PSL 11.’
Mustafiz previously played one season for Lahore, back in 2018. He picked up four wickets at an economy rate of 6.43 while playing five matches.
The left-arm pacer was roped in by Lahore in 2016, too. However, a shoulder injury prevented him from playing that season.
Mustafiz joined Steven Smith (Sialkot Stallionz), Devon Conway (Islamabad United) and Moeen Ali (Karachi Kings) as confirmed direct signings at the PSL. Each team can sign one player outside the auction.
All the players—retained, directly signed, or picked at the auction—will have a two-year contract with their franchise.
The teams can sign 16 to 20 players, with five to seven overseas players and at least one local player under the age of 23 who is yet to play the PSL.
Mustafiz was supposed to be playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League this season. However, Kolkata dropped him upon receiving an order from the Indian Board.
That enticed a huge row as the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to travel to India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
They were subsequently replaced by Scotland after their request to shift venues outside of India was rejected by the International Cricket Council.
