Many people might not necessarily support the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) concept, and some may not support how it was carried out. The fact that several talented players were discovered on the PJL platform, though, cannot be disputed by many.
Shawaiz Irfan is one of the most intriguing talents to emerge from the PJL. Shawaiz performed for the U19 teams of Lahore and Central Punjab as he progressed through the provincial Under-19 circuit.
Lahore Qalandars and wicket-keepers:
Lahore Qalandars and their wicket-keepers have a very peculiar relationship. Either a local player keeping wickets who was not contributing with the bat and was unprepared for PSL, a foreign player who had subpar results with the bat, or a player towards the end of their career, would be found. To put it quantitatively, the overall batting average of Lahore’s wicketkeepers is 17.9.
Huge stars like AB de Villiers and Brendan McCullum were also connected to the team, but since they were nearing the conclusion of their careers, they had given up at that point. This has been one of the issues Qalandars have faced in the past that has prevented them from winning the PSL championship.
Local batters in PSL:
In PSL, a local batter is considered to be very valuable especially in middle order. Even though Shawaiz played as an opener in the final of Pakistan Junior League, he batted in most of the tournament in the middle order.
Shawaiz can be the long-term solution for this wicket keeping problem of Qalandars, however, for this the fans need to show patience.
How to fit Shawaiz in Lahore Qalandars’ setup?
One of the factors contributing to Lahore’s title-winning season last year was the top order of the Lahore Qalandars, which was quite consistent. Shawaiz cannot be positioned near the top to benefit from the powerplay’s field limitations.
We must determine his favourable matchup in order to place him in the middle order:
If we divide his run scoring against spin further, we can see how he fares against different types of spinners:
Shawaiz has appeared at ease at the crease against wrist spinners although not scoring runs as freely against finger spinners. He was once told to leave by Momin Qamar, but he still appeared at ease with both right-arm and left-arm wrist spin. The sample size may be tiny, but he hasn’t scored runs against them rapidly.
Where should Shawaiz bat in PSL?
It could be a little hazardous to place him at position four given his issues with finger spin, and he might not be able to deal with pacers as much either, who he appeared to be quite at ease with in the PJL.
Given that players like Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, and Hussain Talat are positioned above him, Shawaiz Irfan might be positioned at number 5 to benefit from his pace hitting abilities while not being too low to allow him time at the crease.
Lahore Qalandars should consider entry points as well to prevent placing Shawaiz in a challenging circumstance during his debut PSL season. The best example of this is probably David Wiese, who has been doing this for Lahore Qalandars for quite some time.
In my opinion, they shouldn’t send him after the 15-over mark. Lahore also has some outstanding players who can smash it all over the park in death overs and have been doing it for a while. Shawaiz won’t be under any additional strain as a result of his position in the playing order.
Another way of fitting Shawaiz in the lineup can be at number 3, at this position he will get enough time to ease himself in and even get the benefit of the fielding restrictions.
How did Shawaiz Irfan overcome the challenges he faced?
Shawaiz Irfan overcame the challenges he faced through sheer determination and hard work. He trained tirelessly to improve his skills and was not afraid to take risks to pursue his dream.
What is the most inspiring aspect of Shawaiz Irfan’s journey?
The most inspiring aspect of Shawaiz Irfan’s journey is his determination and resilience in the face of adversity. Despite growing up in difficult circumstances and facing numerous challenges, he never lost sight of his goal and worked tirelessly to achieve it. He is an example of what can be achieved through hard work and perseverance, and serves as an inspiration to others who are facing their own challenges.