Lahore (Sports Reporter): Lahore Qalandars owner Atif Rana has reaffirmed the franchise's commitment to developing Pakistan's next generation of cricketers, saying the team's squad for the ExxonMobil Global Super League (GSL) 2026 has been built around young and emerging talent to prepare future stars for international cricket.
"The Qalandars' squad is based on youth and emerging talent, who will be provided international exposure to showcase their abilities on the biggest stages and develop into future stars for Pakistan," Atif Rana said as the Lahore Qalandars team departed for Guyana on Saturday.
The franchise will be led by experienced New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell in the prestigious tournament, scheduled from July 23 to August 1 at the Guyana National Stadium, where champion franchises from across the world will compete.
Highlighting another key objective of the tour, Atif Rana expressed confidence in head coach Shaun Tait, saying the former Australian fast bowler's experience would play a crucial role in nurturing Pakistan's future pace attack. "Shaun Tait is a highly experienced coach who has helped develop quality fast bowlers in Bangladesh. We are also focusing on producing outstanding fast bowlers under his guidance, so Pakistan's fast-bowling resources continue to grow," he added.
Team Director Sameen Rana described Bracewell's appointment as captain as a strategic move. "Michael Bracewell's experience, leadership and all-round abilities make him the ideal captain to lead our young squad against world-class opposition in the Global Super League," said Sameen Rana.
Lahore Qalandars will launch their GSL campaign against Perth Scorchers on July 23 before facing Desert Vipers (July 24), Guyana Amazon Warriors (July 26) and San Francisco Unicorns (July 29), with the final scheduled for August 1.
The squad combines experienced overseas players, including Bracewell, Parvez Hossain Emon, Shayan Jahangir and Delano Potgieter, with promising Pakistani youngsters such as Abdullah Shafique, Usama Mir, Shamyl Hussain, Muhammad Naeem, Mehran Mumtaz and Shahab Khan, reflecting the franchise's long-term vision of producing the next generation of international stars.
LAHORE QALANDARS SQUAD FOR GSL 2026: Michael Bracewell (New Zealand), Parvez Hossain Emon (Bangladesh), Shayan Jahangir (USA), Delano Potgieter (South Africa), Abdullah Shafique, Usama Mir, Shamyl Hussain, Muhammad Naeem, Imran Randhawa, Mehran Mumtaz, Farhan Yousaf, Shahab Khan, Muhammad Basit, Ali Shabbir.
