Lions roar across the border

Lions’ performance will also be a source of inspiration for Peshawar Panthers, who will participate next year

KARACHI: Lahore Lions were made to exit the seventh edition of the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) tournament after losing their last group match to Perth Scorchers by three wickets. Even though Lions failed to follow through till the very end, their debut saw a few individuals, and the team as a whole, make some clear statements through their outstanding performances.

First and foremost, Lions’ skipper Muhammad Hafeez impressed not with the bat, but through his bowling instead. He bagged four wickets in the group stages with an economy rate of 4.45, although his decision-making as a captain was put to test during the tournament. He faltered at times but made up for it by delivering well in other instances. His decision to play Nasir Jamshed in all the matches despite the top-order batsman’s poor performance has been questioned by many. On the contrary, Hafeez did lead the first Pakistani team past the qualifiers in the CLT20 which is an achievement in itself, and furthermore, the match against Scorchers was a testament to his leadership skills as Lions fought like cornered tigers.

But leaving his mark in the CLT20 was Lions’ new kid Saad Nasim, who repeated his heroics from the 2013 domestic T20 final, where he scored an unbeaten 43 to lead his side to victory over Faisalabad Wolves. Nasim scored 58 against Northern Knights in the second qualifier and 69* against Scorchers in the last group match, both occasions during which Lions were failing with the bat.

Another star in the making termed as the future of Pakistan cricket, Umar Akmal, also found his lost form during the event when he smashed Mumbai Indian bowlers to lead Lions home with a blistering 38-run innings in the first qualifier. He showed consistency issues with an innings of 1 and 11 in the next two qualifiers but came back strong in the first group match against Kolkata Knight Riders and smashed 40 off just 24 balls.

He took confidence from that innings and went onto score 73 off 45 deliveries against Dolphins in the third group match, smashing five sixes and five boundaries to become the top scorer for Lions with 139 runs in three group matches. His return to prime form is encouraging for Pakistan, who go onto face the Kangaroos this month, New Zealand in November and then gear up for next year’s World Cup in February.

Lions’ performance was also augmented by a new face, the left-arm orthodox spinner Mustafa Iqbal who was the leading wicket-taker with five wickets.

The Lahore outfit was perhaps the only team without a franchise system in place, but they made sure they caused trouble for all the Champions League giants they faced. Moreover, Lions’ performance will also be a source of inspiration for Peshawar Panthers, the 2014 national T20 champions, when they go on to participate in the next edition of the CLT20.