Currently taking part in the President’s Trophy, Sharjeel Khan spoke at length with PakPasssion.net about the quality of batsmen coming from Sind, his own performance and his aspirations to represent Pakistan at the highest level.

by Amir Husain (18th November 2013)

While former Pakistan international Imran Nazir was busy stealing the limelight in the President’s Cup One-Day Tournament with an epic 189, his opening partner at ZTBL Sharjeel Khan - who had scored 194 off 124 balls eight days earlier – was patiently biding his time at the other end. An innings of 29 runs composed of a four and a six may have paled in comparison to the mayhem launched by his team-mate that day, but to those who have been following the career of Sharjeel, it’s simply a case of when, not if, the talent of the 24-year-old will be recognised at the highest level.

Born in Hyderabad, Sindh, the talented left-hander made his first foray into the domestic scene with a debut in the ABN-AMRO Cup in 2006 for the Hyderabad Hawks. Just five runs to his name in the first T20 game he played, he now averages 29.89 at a strike rate of 133.64 with three half-centuries, and a highest score of 101. His List-A statistics are impressive, having scored 1,455 runs in 29 games at an average of over 50. The First Class format has further allowed him to exhibit his skill, and he has amassed 3,213 runs at an average of 34.92 which includes nine hundreds and 15 half-centuries.

Currently taking part in the President’s Trophy, Sharjeel Khan spoke at length with PakPasssion.net about the quality of batsmen coming from Sind, his own performance and his aspirations to represent Pakistan at the highest level.

Sindh has always had the reputation for producing quality batsmen, but lately this has taken a battering given the national side's recent troubles, a fact that Sharjeel is quick to contest “I think it’s wrong of critics to say that Sindh or Karachi isn’t producing good quality batsmen these days. We have always had good quality batsmen from this region and that will undoubtedly continue. The set up in the region is good and competition for places is intense, but we can only show our talent on the international stage if given the opportunity.”

Sharjeel recorded a spectacular innings of 194 in the ongoing President's Cup One-Day Tournament and the talented left-hander, who identifies Saeed Anwar and Adam Gilchrist as his favourite batsmen, has his sights set on even loftier goals.

“The 194 from 124 balls this season in the One-Day Cup match was a memorable and very enjoyable innings. Before the season started I had set myself the goal of making a double century in a fifty over match and I nearly achieved that. I came close when I made 194 but the target remains to make 200 or more in the 50-over tournament this season. I’m pretty confident that I can reach the target I have set myself.”

The dream of every domestic player, young or old, is to have his performance noticed by the national selectors. Although this may appear to be an easy formula to gain a berth in the national team, the fact remains that given the intensity of the competition it is only the very best domestic players who can make the leap to the highest level. Sharjeel is very clear about his own objectives and how he intends to achieve these goals.

“I feel that I’ve made a good start to the domestic season - starting where I left off last season. I made close to 2,000 runs in domestic cricket last season in all the formats combined and I was delighted with my efforts. I’ve made a conscious effort to improve my fitness levels and that has paid dividends. Before the start of last season, I attended a training camp in Lahore and worked with the Pakistan national team’s fitness trainer Saboor Ahmed. The results were that I lost over six kilograms and I feel a lot better for it. Prior to this season I worked hard again on my fitness and once again the results are there. I feel a lot fitter both physically and mentally and I’m very happy with the start I’ve made this season in domestic cricket.”

Whilst Sharjeel has indeed made a promising start to the season, he is aware of the fact that scoring runs at this time of year is a difficult task. The Kookaburra balls have been identified as being a major cause of the low scores, but Sharjeel feels there are other factors affecting the batsmen. 

“I don’t think the change of cricket ball has made an impact and caused the low scores we are seeing in four-day cricket in Pakistan this season. I think it’s down to the start times and the fact that the wickets are grassy and there is a lot of dew which means that the ball is zipping around, particularly early in the day. The wickets are very bowler-friendly - quick and bouncy - which is making life difficult for the batsmen. “

Being a batsman can be a lonely vocation and not many sportsmen can succeed without the help and support of families and loved ones. It is therefore heartening to note that whilst he has experienced success at domestic level, Sharjeel Khan is very clear about the role of family in providing him with the platform for his current and potential success. 

“My father is my fiercest critic but he’s also my driving force. I’ve worked with various coaches but my father is the one who helps me a lot and really drives me forward and pushes me. It’s great to have that level of support from your family. At times professional sport is difficult and your family suffers with you when you are going through a tough time, but having that support network behind you really helps. I owe my family, especially my father, a lot for supporting me and I hope that I can repay their faith by one day representing Pakistan.”

Sharjeel’s dream of representing Pakistan is one that remains at the forefront of his mind and he understands that he will need to remain calm and focused on the task ahead – his aggressive style of play may need to be tempered to adjust to the demands of what lies ahead in the international arena, but he is clear he can only progress if he remains true to the talent that has brought him thus far.

“I’ve come close to selection for international cricket on a couple of occasions and my name still gets mentioned in the media which is heartening, but as yet my chance hasn’t come. I feel I’ve come a long way from my early days in cricket and the journey is continuing. I’m developing my batting and feel that I am continually improving. I think that one day my chance will come to play international cricket and I’m confident that when the chance to play for Pakistan arrives, I will grab it with both hands.” He continues “I’ve always promised myself that if I get the chance to play for my country, I will play in the same aggressive way that I always have from junior cricket to First Class cricket. My approach will always be the same and I don’t think you should drastically change your batting approach from domestic cricket to international cricket.”

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