After more than six months away, Shakib Al Hasan returned to competitive cricket on May 18. He played for Lahore Qalandars in an unofficial quarter-final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) against Peshawar Zalmi.
Although his team won, Shakib couldn’t make an impact. He was dismissed on the very first ball he faced and failed to take a wicket with the ball.
However, in his second match, Shakib finally managed to take a wicket.
On Thursday night, Lahore faced Karachi Kings in the Eliminator match. With a 6-wicket victory over Karachi Kings, Lahore secured a place in the PSL Qualifier.
There were three Bangladeshi players in the Lahore squad—Shakib, Rishad Hossain, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz—all spinners like Shakib. Based on experience, Shakib alone made it into the playing eleven.
In the Eliminator, Shakib bowled just six deliveries. Captain Shaheen Afridi brought him into the attack just after the powerplay. In that over, he conceded 4 runs in the first five balls and dismissed James Vince on the last ball.
However, captain Shaheen did not bring him back into the attack afterward—likely because left-handed David Warner remained at the crease until the 16th over. Warner’s 75-run innings dismantled all of Lahore’s bowlers.
Considering the matchup, Shaheen perhaps avoided bringing left-arm spinner Shakib against the left-handed Warner. Otherwise, it’s hard to justify not using such a successful bowler again after a strong first over.
Warner’s innings of 75 came to an end in the 16th over. After that, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, and Mohammad Nabi contributed quick cameos of 18, 27, and 16 runs respectively, helping Karachi Kings post a competitive total of 190 runs.
Despite the large target, Lahore didn’t even need Shakib’s batting. Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Kusal Perera, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa finished the job before his turn came. Fakhar gave Lahore a flying start with 47 runs off 28 balls. After his dismissal, Abdullah ensured the momentum continued with a blistering 65 off 35 balls.
Even after Kusal Perera departed for 30, Bhanuka Rajapaksa remained unbeaten, scoring 23 off 12 balls and finishing the match. Lahore secured a 6-wicket win and advanced to the Qualifier, where they will face Islamabad United on Friday night.
