Lahore Lions, after defeating Mumbai Indians in the qualifiers, have reached the main stage of the Champions League T20 2014 (CLT20 2014). This is a great news for the fans in Pakistan, as Lahore Lions have become the first team from Pakistan to enter the main stage of Champions League T20 tournament.
In my last piece on Lahore Lions, that I wrote before the start of the qualifiers, I said that Lahore Lions are capable of spoiling the party for many favorites, and this is exactly what happened as far as the Mumbai Indians are concerned. The multimillionaire squad of the Mumbai Indians was brought down to the ground by the Lahore Lions in their first qualifier of the tournament.
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Lahore Lions, led by Mohammad Hafeez, are a good T20 side, and have the potential of beating any side in the tournament. In the three qualifying matches that Lahore Lions played, they looked like a team that plays as a unit. Hafeez is a good leader and all the young lads in the team look up to him for advice and inspiration.
Now, coming back to their entry in the main stage of the tournament, Lions will have to be at the top of their game in all the matches. They have the potential of progressing in the tournament, and if they stick to their plans and play as a unit.
- Lions’ top four batsmen- Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal, will have to play responsibly and set the tone for the rest of the side. One of these four will have to anchor the innings and bat through. It would be just fair to say that there’s nothing substantial in their batting line-up other than these 4.
- Before the start of the tournament, Lions’ bowling was looking weak, in fact, many were saying that bowling is their weak link. But now, with Aizaz Cheema coming back to form and Wahab Riaz also bowling well, Lions’ bowling department is looking good. Mohammad Hafeez along with Adnan Rasool will be handling the spin department and on the pitches that will offer some assistance to the spinners, their partnership will be a crucial factor for the Lions.
THE BIG TEST
Lahore Lions’ biggest test in this tournament will be to not get carried away with the glamour of the tournament. They have a lot of youngsters and domestic players who might not have played in front of such a big crowd. The team management, especially Mohammad Hafeez will have to make sure that the team stays focused and these youngsters don’t carried away.
In my opinion, Lahore Lions are the dark horses for the Champions League T20 2014 (CLT20 2014)
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