Lahore Lions
Lahore Lions (Urdu: لاہور لائنز, abbreviated as LIO) is a Pakistani franchise cricket team representing the city Lahore and is one of the 19 domestic teams. The team was established by Lahore Regional Cricket Association in 2004/05 in its home ground Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Domestically, the team plays in the Haier T20 Cup. The team won its first title in 2010 where they defeated Karachi Dolphins by 37 runs in their home ground Gaddafi Stadium.[1]
| لاہور لائنز | |
 | |
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Captain |  Kamran Akmal |
| Coach | Mohsin Kamal |
| Owner | LRCA PCB |
| Manager | Shafiq Ahmed |
| Team information | |
| City | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Colours | |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Dissolved | 2016 |
| Home ground | LCCA Ground Gaddafi Stadium |
| Capacity | 62,250 |
| History | |
| Haier T20 Cup wins | 3 (2010), (2012), (2013) |
| CLT20 wins | 0 |
| Official website | lahorelions.pcb.com.pk |
History
Lahore Lions are the most successful Twenty20 team in the history of the Lahore Regional Cricket Association, and the second most successful in the country after the Sialkot Stallions. The team won the T20 Cup 2010/11 under the captaincy of Shoaib Iqbal Joiya and qualified for the inaugural Super-8 T20 Cup. Lahore Lions won the 2013–14 season and qualified for the Champions League T20.
Current squad
| No. | Name | Nat | Birth date | Batting Style | Bowling Style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batsmen | ||||||
| 23 | Nasir Jamshed | | 6 December 1989 | Left-handed | ||
| 78 | Ahmed Shehzad | | 23 November 1991 | Right-handed | Right-arm legbreak | |
| 79 | Umar Siddiq | | 30 December 1992 | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| All-rounders | ||||||
| 80 | Agha Salman | | 23 November 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | |
| 81 | Mohammad Hafeez | | 7 October 1980 | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | Vice Captain |
| 82 | Shoaib Iqbal | | 15 March 1996 | Right-handed | Right-arm legbreak | |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||
| 83 | Umar Akmal | | 26 May 1990 | Right-handed | part-time spinner | |
| 84 | Kamran Akmal | | 26 May 1985 | Right-handed | Captain | |
| Bowlers | ||||||
| 99 | Asif Raza | | 11 January 1987 | Left-handed | Right-arm fast medium | |
| 100 | Wahab Riaz | | 28 June 1985 | Right-handed | Left-arm fast | |
| 23 | Aizaz Cheema | | 11 January 1987 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast medium | |
| 24 | Imran Ali | | 21 October 1980 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast medium | |
| 08 | Adnan Rasool | | 1 May 1981 | Right-handed | Right-arm off spin | |
| 87 | Mustafa Iqbal | | 30 August 1989 | Left-handed | Left-arm orthodox | |
| 88 | Mohammad Saeed | | 12 October 1983 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast medium | |
| 78 | Ali Manzoor | | 8 January 1991 | Right-handed | Left-arm orthodox | |
Former notable players
- Muhammad Yousuf
- Abdul Razzaq
- Imran Farhat (Now, plays for Lahore Eagles)
- Imran Tahir (Now, plays for Highveld Lions, South Africa)
- Salman Butt
- Kamran Akmal (Plays Sometimes for Lahore Eagles and sometimes for Lahore Lions)
- Azhar Ali (Plays Sometimes for Lahore Eagles and sometimes for Lahore Lions)
- Taufeeq Umar (Now, plays for Lahore Eagles)
Honours
| Season | Haier T20 Cup | Super 8 T20 Cup | Champions League T20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004/05 | Group stage | – | – |
| 2005/06 | Semi-Finalists | – | – |
| 2006/07 | Semi-Finalists | – | – |
| 2008/09 | Semi-Finalists | – | DNQ |
| 2009 | Runners-up | – | DNQ |
| 2009/10 | Semi-Finalists | – | DNQ |
| 2010/11 | Champions | Semi-Finalists | DNQ |
| 2011/12 | Group stage | Semi-Finalists | DNQ |
| 2012/13 | Champions | Semi-Finalists | DNQ |
| 2013/14 | Champions | Did Not Held | Group Stage |
| 2014/15 | Runners-up | Qualified | – |
- DNQ = Did Not Qualify
Fixtures and results
T20 results
| Played | Wins | Losses | Tied | % Win | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20 Cup 2004/05 |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% |
| T20 Cup 2005/06 |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33% |
| T20 Cup 2006/07 |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% |
| T20 Cup 2008/09 |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% |
| T20 Cup 2009 |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.00% |
| T20 Cup 2009/10 |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% |
| T20 Cup 2010/11 |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Super 8 2011 |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% |
| T20 Cup 2011/12 |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% |
| Super 8 2012 |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% |
| T20 Cup 2012/13 |
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Super 8 2013 |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% |
| T20 Cup 2013/14 |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33% |
  .svg.png.webp){kind=small} CLT20 2014 |
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.00% |
| T20 Cup 2014/15 |
5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.00% |
| Total | 67 | 51 | 16 | 0 | 76.11% |
By Opposition
| Opposition | Played | Wins | Losses | Tied | % Win | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | ||||||
| Abbottabad Falcons |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33% | |
| Bahawalpur Stags |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.66% | |
| DM JAMALI Ibexes |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Faisalabad Wolves |
7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | |
| Hyderabad Hawks |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Islamabad Leopards |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Karachi Dolphins |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.00% | |
| Karachi Zebras |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Lahore Eagles |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |
| Multan Tigers |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Peshawar Panthers |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | |
| Quetta Bears |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Rawalpindi Rams |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | |
| Sialkot Stallions |
7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.85% | |
| International | ||||||
| Sunfoil Dolphins |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Kolkata Knight Riders |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 00.00% | |
| Mumbai Indians |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
 Northern Knights |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 00.00% | |
| Perth Scorchers |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 00.00% | |
 Southern Express |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | |
| Total | 67 | 51 | 16 | 0 | 76.11% | |
CLT20 2014 season
Lahore Lions qualified first time for the Champions League Twenty20, becoming the third Pakistani team overall to participate in the tournament since its inception.[3] Abdul Razzaq was not included in the squad as Pakistan Cricket Board rejected Muhammad Hafeez's request to add him.[4] The squad contained the following players:
Mohammed Hafeez(c), Ahmad Shahzad, Umar Siddique Khan, Muhammad Umar Akmal, Nasir Jamshaid, Muhammad Salman Ali, Asif Raza, Muhammad Mustafa Iqbal, Wahab Riaz, Aizaz Bin Ilyas Cheema, Imran Ali, Saad Naseem, Adnan Rasool, Muhammad Saeed and Ali Manzoor.[5]
The team defeated 2013 Champions Mumbai Indians and Southern Express of Sri Lanka to qualify for the main event. After a washout in their game against Chennai Super Kings, they defeated Dolphins of South Africa. But Lahore Lions played their last match against Perth Scorchers and lost it match which made them out of tournament.[6] The captain Muhammad Hafeez was satisfied with the team for their exceptional performance in the event, he said: "I think our team’s performance in the face of limited resources was remarkable. Unlike other big teams, we didn’t have batting, bowling or fielding coaches with us, but we still managed to fight well. We learned a lot from the CLT20 and it’s great for young domestic players to come and perform at such a big stage.”[7]
PCB decided to hold the domestic T20 competition in Pakistan on the same dates as the Champions League. This meant that a second Lahore Lions team played in the Pakistani tournament and the main team played in the Champions League 2014. The second XI were defeated in the finals of the domestic competition by Peshawar Panthers.
| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | Mumbai Indians | Raipur | Won by 6 wickets | Cricinfo |
| 2 | September 14 | Northern Knights | Raipur | Lost by 72 runs | Cricinfo |
| 3 | September 16 | Southern Express | Raipur | Won by 55 runs | Cricinfo |
| 4 | September 21 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Hyderabad | Lost by 4 wickets | Cricinfo |
| 5 | September 25 | Chennai Super Kings | Bangalore | Rain interrupted the match | Cricinfo |
| 6 | September 27 | Dolphins | Bangalore | Won by 16 runs | Cricinfo |
| 7 | September 30 | Perth Scorchers | Bangalore | Lost by 3 wickets | Cricinfo |
Captains' record
List of captains of Lahore Lions for Twenty20 matches are as follows:[8]
| Player | Span | Match | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoaib Iqbal | 2005–2011 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Imran Farhat | 2005–2005 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Abdul Razzaq | 2006–2011 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 76.92 |
| Imran Tahir | 2006-2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Kamran Akmal | 2006–2012 2015-present | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 95.00 |
| Salman Butt | 2010-2010 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 2012–2014 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 82.60 |
| Azhar Ali | 2014–2014 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
Sponsors
FR Cables was the sponsor of the Lahore Lions in 2010-11 Faysal Bank Twenty-20 Cup and were sponsored by FR Cables for the Faysal Bank Super 8 T20 Cup 2011 as well. Brighto Paints were the sponsors of Lions in 2014 Champions League Twenty20.[9]
See also
References
- "Faysal Bank T-20 Cup / News – Lahore Lions take title after runfest". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- "Records / Lahore Lions / Twenty20 matches / List of match results". ESPN. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- "Lahore Lions issued Indian visa". ESPN. Umar Farooq. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- "CLT20 2014: PCB rejected Mohammad Hafeez's request". The Cricket Country. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- "CLT20 2014 squads announced". First Post. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- "Marsh, Hogg knock Lahore Lions out of Champions League T20". Daily Times. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- "Hafeez satisfied with Lahore Lions in CLT20". The Nation. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- "LAHORE LIONS T20 Cup Captains Record". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- "Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2014 Team Sponsors". Official News Pakistan. Retrieved 2 October 2014.