Fakhar replaces AB de Villiers as Lahore skipper for remainder of tournament

Fakhar Zaman to lead Lahore. Image credit - LQ/Twitter.

Lahore Qalandars have appointed Fakhar Zaman as the skipper of the squad for the remainder of the 2019 Pakistan Super League (PSL) edition.

The Pakistan opening batsman replaces South Africa ace AB de Villiers in the role. According to report by Geo TV, the decision to appoint Fakhar in place of de Villiers has been taken due to the unavailability of the South African for the closing stages of the tournament.

Fakhar took charge of Lahore Qalandars on Wednesday when they took on Quetta Gladiators at Dubai with the opening batsman also captaining the side in the subsequent clash against Karachi Kings on Thursday.

AB de Villiers’ stay with the Qalandars will soon be coming to an end with the South African batsman set to bid farewell following the completion of the side’s upcoming three clashes. The 35-year-old will not be available for the PSL playoffs should Lahore progress.

“AB was available for only nine games. He has played six and will play three more including the two matches in Lahore,” a Qalandars official was quoted as saying by Geo TV.

“In light of this, the Qalandars management decided that a player who is available should lead the team in remaining games,” the official added.

Fakhar is not the first captaincy change for Lahore in the 2019 edition. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez was appointed to the role ahead of the start of the tournament but an injury forced Lahore to replace him with de Villiers.

Lahore are currently in fourth spot in the PSL table after playing seven games which have resulted in three wins and four defeats. They next play Peshawar Zalmi at Abu Dhabi on Tuesday before moving to Lahore for the Pakistan leg of the tournament.