A lighting swift pacer from the land of Pakistan, Ahmed Daniyal is a product of the country’s popular tape-ball cricket. The speedster has come through the ranks by Lahore Qalandars’ Players Development Programme. However, it is Daniyal’s bag full of slower variations and yorkers that has earned him a PSL contract. 

Born in Lahore, a promising 20-year-old Daniyal gave trials for the Qalandars’ Players Development Programme (PDP), in 2018, where he showcased his skillset and variations. At PDP, the pacer got Qalandars’ coach, Aaqib Javed’s mentoring that made Daniyal a better as well as a fitter bowler. The pacer impressed Javed with prowess as the coach remarked him as “a new gem unearthing”.

The Lahore-based seamer first announced himself in front of the world during the 2021 season of the Abu Dhabi T10. Daniyal made his T10 debut for Qalandars and played seven matches to scalp five wickets at an economy of under 11. Seeing his command in the batting-biased format, the Qalandars franchise booked Daniyal in the 2021 PSL draft.

Daniyal made his PSL debut against Peshawar Zalmi in Karachi. However, it wasn’t until the game against the defending champions, Karachi Kings where he knocked off Colin Ingram’s middle stump with a deadly yorker, which made him a household name in Karachi. The pacer has just got four PSL games before PSL6 got suspended due to the Covid-19 outbreak, but Daniyal is the one to look out for. 

(As of June 2021)