Fawad Rana not giving up yet – ‘Qalandars will come back stronger in remaining games’
'We are not out [of the tournament] yet. We are still here, we are still in the competition'
March 06, 2018
DUBAI: One of the traits of a true Qalandar is having a deep sense of contentment from within – a peace and positivity that prevails in the heart no matter how adverse the circumstances.
Fawad Rana, the owner of Lahore Qalandars, is keeping that positivity despite his team’s nightmarish performance in the third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) so far.
Geo Pakistan presenters Abdullah Sultan and Huma Amir Shah caught up with the Qalandars’ owner in Dubai over the weekend, where he told them he has not lost hope in his team.
“We are not out [of the tournament] yet. We are still here, we are still in the competition,” said Rana with a hopeful smile.
“Tashnagi tu bhi meri tarha qalandar nikli,” he said, giving a poetic touch to his state of mind amid the team’s struggles.
“I am hopeful. We will come back stronger [in the remaining matches]. You will see me in Lahore with my team in the playoffs.”
Lahore Qalandars, after finishing at bottom of the table in both the previous editions of PSL, have had a woeful start so far, with five crushing defeats in all five of their games. Their qualification to the playoffs, although still statistically possible, would require them winning all of their remaining matches and for Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators to lose all of their remaining matches.
‘Brendon Lahori’
Lahore Qalandars captain Brendon McCullum is enjoying a dip into the Punjabi culture alongside his PSL campaign.
When Abdullah Sultan suggested that the skipper speak some Punjabi, McCullum, aka Baz, was quick to take up the challenge.
About his team’s performance, McCullum admitted that it has been a disappointing start to the tournament but vowed that the boys are focusing on staying positive.
“We haven’t started well so far. But we are focusing on the [next matches] and staying positive,” he said.
Asked if he would be travelling to Pakistan if Lahore make it to the playoffs, he said, “Let’s see. We’ve got a lot of work to do before then.”
