The fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is fast approaching as the clock ticks down to the season opener in the UAE.

The six PSL franchises will once again battle it out for the crown of Pakistan’s best in the T20 extravaganza spread over the course of five weeks.

Ahead of a mouthwatering edition of T20 action, we profile the Lahore Qalandars franchise who have been the biggest under-performers in the league’s history so far.

LAHORE QALANDARS

Squad

Mohammad Hafeez (C), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, AB de Villiers, Yasir Shah, Sohail Akhtar, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rahat Ali, Agha Salman, Hassan Khan, Anton Devcich, Carlos Brathwaite, Corey Anderson, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mohammad Imran, Umair Masood, Brendan Taylor, Gohar Ali, Aizaz Cheema, Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Hardus Viljoen.

Skipper – Mohammad Hafeez

The veteran Pakistan all-rounder has been given the charge to overturn the team’s fortunes in the fourth edition.

Past performances

Despite having some star names in their midst, Lahore Qalandars have performed well below expectations in all three editions to date and finished dead last in each of the three seasons.

Coach – Aqib Javed

The former Pakistan pacer will oversee proceedings from the dugout once again. Javed is also the director of cricket operations as well as the bowling consultant for the outfit.

Key players – AB de Villiers (South Africa batsman), Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan batsman), Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal leg-spinner)

Lahore have a South African ace up their sleeves.

Strengths

By securing the services of AB de Villiers, Qalandars have stolen a march on the other franchises. The South African will undoubtedly be the headline act but Lahore also have a plethora of other match-winners in Fakhar, Lamichhane, West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, New Zealand left-armer Corey Anderson and rising Pakistan pace star Shaheen Afridi.

Weakness

There is really no standout weakness on paper for Lahore who seem to have their bases covered in all departments. How far they can progress in the fourth edition will depend on how quickly they can figure out the right combination.

Prediction – Final

They might have finished bottom in all three editions but it is hard to look past Lahore as the favourites for the PSL on the back of their inspired purchases.