BSL Nights 2021 Preview

Baghdad

Draft Strategy:

Plan was to pick a SS and a power hitter with the first 2 picks then take best player available after that.

Team Strengths:

Baghdad did a good job of drafting for key positions as SS, CF, P are 3B are covered. Baghdad’s offense may not seem the best on paper but there is a lot of potential on this team.

Team Weaknesses:

The outfield is the only question here but like most of us, we haven’t seen a lot of the new talent in action this year. Outfield will be lead by Veteran Center fielder Hamid Malik and although decisions haven’t been made yet, looks like he will have plenty of options to work with.

Team Summary:

Even though team Baghdad had the last pick in the draft, GM Hamid Malik is very happy with the results. There is a good combination of Power and defense on this team and although there are some new faces, this team is looking scary. Noor Zia and Tash Samadzadeh flew under the radar in the draft but most people are saying Noor may be a top 5 talent in this league and sources tell us that Tash has a big bat and is looking for the HR title in his rookie year. Aslam is returning for his 2nd year and is looking build off his rookie season. Word on the street is, he’s been hitting the gym hard and is looking to make big contact this season. If healthy, look for him to be in the top 5 in RBI’s, and HR’s this year. Thaya and Fahad will be making their BSL Nights debut and although picked in the middle of the draft, both have shown promise on both ends of the field. Thaya may need to shake some rust as he hasn’t played in over 2 years but given his cricket background and high IQ, he’s looking to be a big contributor on this team. Abdo and Ali Furqan will both be key contributors this year. Abdo had a great campaign with Medina and is looking to prove his doubters wrong in his return to BSL Nights. Shahan Kahn flew under the radar in the draft as nobody knew he was the reigning MVP Safwan Khan’s brother. Although that has no effect on his own game, perhaps there are some similarities. We’ll find out once the season gets on its way.  Fawad A Sheikh is coming off a fantastic rookie campaign where he really started to put it together at the end of the season. Baghdad is counting on his big bat this season as they look to make a run. Farooq Sani is normally a 3rd round pick but due to his recent injury, he fell in the draft as their were some questions about his availability for the season. If he stays off his feet and gets some rest, he could be back in a few weeks and could end up being the steal of the draft. Team Baghdad has reached out to the best doctors in the world and are working on a cure for Sani’s ankle. Nirvaan Latif will be one of the main pieces for team Baghdad this year. His experience as a GM, big bat and his fancy pitching will set the pace this season.  Although the boys have yet to prove they can play together and form a winning recipe, the talent here is undeniable. Can Hamid Malik take all this talent and make a winning team out of these guys?? We’ll know soon enough.

 

Istanbul

• Primary focus on defense then hitting ability 
• Draft guys that have played together before for better team chemistry 

Team Weakness

• Lack of league experience - will take some games to get familiar
• Questionable hitting - unknowns in terms of how deep the lineup is

Team Strengths

• Solid Defense - especially OF
• Good source of power hitters 

Team Summary

Overall, Istanbul has a strong defensive core that will look to frustrate opposition hitters with stellar defensive plays.  Captain Taqi Ahmed decided to go with new comer Umair Ali as his first pick followed up by Zain Khilji securing that SS position. Baseer Yasin Asad Ahmed and Nadim R filled out the middle rounds providing some hitting depth.  Riyad Ramjaun who happens to be Istanbul’s previous AGM, somehow fell to the 6th round. Taqi didn’t hesitate to pick him up as he was a key contributor for Damascus’s championship run. Emad and Musa will add some depth while the Waheed brothers will add some valuable experience. Some of the hitters are expected to have growing pains but once they get going, the lineup will further compliment the defense.  The bar is set low by previous GM's as Istanbul has finished bottom of the league since league inception.

This year will be a change of fortune for the franchise.

 

Cordoba

Draft Strategy
Primary focus on defense filling up key positions early in the draft
GM tried to bring back players from previous year
Draft guys with proven track record in the league

Team Weakness
Consistent Power hitting could be issue for Cordoba this year

Team Strengths
Solid Defense - in field  and outfield
Leadership Experience with Bilal and Hassan Ch

Team Summary
Good Defensive Team  infield lead by one the best SS in the bsl "Usama" and outfield lead by proven Elite CF "Hassan Ch" of the Bsl.   Rookie GM "Bilal" drafted elite fielders like Sunny, Saad, Ahmed Butt to compliment these GGs of BSL and Abbas as pitcher who was the game changer in last years finals. Rookie GM Believe’s this Defensive line will really be tough to score on.
Cordoba might have problems with consistency when it comes to power but we should not close our eyes on Abdul Hulk Butt specially, after the Playoffs performance he had last year.
Overall Good Balanced team who can give any team a run for their money on any given day.
Given the Franchises history we should not discount the fact that Cordoba could be the favorites to make a finals run again

 

Jerusalem

Draft Strategy

• Fill key defensive positions early with exceptional defenders who also have strong bats.
• Young and fast players who are eager to learn and develop.
• Team chemistry was a key factor in drafting this team.

Team Strengths

• Defence
• Speed
• Spray hitting
• Experienced pitcher
• Leadership experience

Team Weaknesses

• Lack of BSLN experience
• Power hitting

Team Summary

Defence Defence and Defence; it wins games! Team Jerusalem is built to challenge other teams to look for gaps as the team will be focusing on practicing defence right from the beginning. Putting pressure on teams to run bases hard as the infielders and outfielders have solid throwing power. Batting is going to be the big question: who will step up to be the power hitters, who will be strong role players, who will be the small ball hitters? Can the young talented players with the help of experienced veterans get better week over week and get themselves ready for a strong postseason?

 

Lahore

Draft Strategy

Lahore GM Aftab Sheikh wanted to revamp the Lahore squad from years past. The approach to the draft was to increase the power across the line-up which was lacking while picking based on position.

Team Strengths

A clear strength for Lahore is the launch power across the line-up with Omar Khatab, Ali Chaudhry, Imran Qureshi and WK we’ll be seeing a lot of balls fly out of the park. The team also went with some BSL veterans including Aazar Zafar shoring up the outfield and Fuzail Thakur coming back to Lahore as their pitcher. Another team strength is their infield which is considered best in the league (accordingly to the Lahore GM anyway) – with Imran Qureshi at 1B, Shane Worthington at 2B, Ali Chaudhry at SS, Aftab Sheikh at 3B and WK playing C we believe a good case can be made in this regard.

Team weaknesses

An unknown for the Lahore squad is their outfield; beyond Omar and Aazar there are many questions including:

• Who will take left field?
• Who will take right centre?
• Why didn’t the Lahore GM think about their outfield?

Having home run bats also has its downside as there is a chance the team may run up against the home run limit against more balanced teams.

Team Summary

GM Aftab and Keeper Omar are very pleased with their picks. The strategy going into the draft was to pick individuals who could play their natural position and having a team first approach. Summarizing the infield with short stop, we are pleased to have Ali return to the league; considered the top all around player in the league, his passion for winning and helping develop those around him are undeniable. Shane “Mr. Playoffs” was picked to round out the infield and give Lahore an added notch during the playoffs. First base is a clear strength with Gold Glover Imran having a breakout season in 2020 hitting .810 and driving in 40 RBIs. Fuzail missed the 2020 season but will be returning to Lahore as their pitcher – he’s vigorously practicing to work off any pitching rust. The Catcher position will be assumed by the 2- time BSL Night’s all-star WK. Lahore GM Aftab Sheikh will assume 3B and is looking forward to playing a single position in a season. As mentioned, outfield as the biggest questions for Lahore; here is summary of what we think the outfield may look like. Rumors are left field will be taken by rookie Mohamed Kazi; he is an unknown to BSL Nights however impressed many GMs during the Combine workout. Omar will take left centre using this speed and focus to pick up where he left off last year. Fawad Shaikh will take right centre with his play improving over the last couple of years. Right field will be taken by 2014 BSL Gold Glove winner Aazar. Rounding out rover positions will be Saad Ibrahim who returns to Lahore as a calming force and new comer to league Osama Mujahid who was very well regarded during the combine workout.

 

Damascus

Draft Strategy

• Draft best available talent
• Get power bats
• Looking for player's who ball hard

Team Strengths

• Power/Strength/Slugging

Team Weaknesses

• Experienced pitching
• Speed
• Team cohesion

Team Summary

Either DMC is going to do very well or very poorly.  Reasons for doing well would be because of Power. Safwan was doing the happy dance when Omer C. (a very respected player, check his 2020 player stats) fell to 6th.  Coupling the 2020 Offensive player, with another offensive juggernaut in Abbasali Kermalli (AK).  After drafting back to back lawyers, who rather be at the field house than the court house, DMC grabbed three elite fielders in Zain Malik (also top 7 in average in 2020), Ali Nazir, and Jav Ahmed.  We're expecting these three to just get on base, but more so just give a good effort on defence, and if that proves to be the case then DMC should replicate some of its success.  Hussein Allidina comes to DMC, and this is where things get interesting.  Will Hussein Allidina pitch for DMC, filling in for his brother, or will it be another newcomer in Zahid P?  We hear that both are looking forward to getting a chance at the mound.  To fill out its roster, DMC took a couple of Nighters who returned after taking time off in Covid, Hassaan Khan and Kamil Siddiqui - these guys were balling before Covid and they should be able to shake off their rust as the season goes on.  Lastly, Zaqi Ahmed, a wildcard could be a head turner - rumour has it that Zaqi is a silent assassin on the softball field, when his teammates pick him up.  Overall, this should be a fun season for DMC - some say they're slow, old and lead the league in Triple XL jersey sizes, but DMC says you get to run at your own pace when the ball goes over the fence, booya!

 

Cairo

Draft Strategy

• Goal was to shore up the primary positions (SS and LCF) with the first two picks
• After the first two picks, focus was drafting a good mix of players, some who have played
• together before and some who have not. Ultimately, tried to pick players that would gel with
• the team.

Team Strengths

• Really balanced lineup so there will be no easy outs. Everyone in the lineup has the potential to
• hit at least 400.
• Great mix of veteran players who have leadership experience and young players.
• Pitching, Shortstop, Third Base, and the outfield is solid. The defense should give the team a
• chance to win every game even if the bats are not performing.

Team Weaknesses

• No automatic home run hitter in the line-up like most of the other teams.
• Depth will be tested if any of the key players are missing games.
• RUST!! Most of the guys have not played in over a year so it will take a few weeks for the team
• to find its rhythm.

Team Summary

Overall, the team is really balanced and well rounded. Despite no inclusion of a premium power bat, management is confident that enough power will be supplied throughout the lineup. The team’s primary focus will be to improve their defense as they know that is the key to their success. Management is really excited about the potential improvement and growth of key members of their team who will be asked to take on a bigger role than they would have in prior seasons.

 

Medina

Draft Strategy:

The plan was to select a power hitter and outfielders with the first 2 picks then draft players with a high ceiling thereafter.

Team Strengths:

Medina targeted key positions early on in the draft by selecting 3 Outfielders and a veteran P. Medina’s offense may not seem scary on paper, however, the team has the potential to outscore teams based on solely on their deep basehitting lineup. If these hitters are successful getting on basis, look for Ahmed “Crazy” Ammad (“Ammad”) to have a career year on the stat sheet driving them in.

Team Weaknesses:

Medina’s only question mark, like other teams, remains outfield depth. The team has drafted new talent and questions remain with respect to these new plays adjusting to Nights ball. While the middle of the outfield will be anchored by veterans, Ammad and Suleman Mann (“Mann”), the corner positions have yet to be decided. Medina is hopeful that both Taha Durrani (“Durrani”) and Shoaib Rangrez (“Rangrez”) will cover major ground.

Team Summary:

As is typical of past Medina teams, the team continues to rely on veteran softballers to nurture the new talent on the squad. Any team with GM, Mohamed Kala, captain Zahid Merchant, Ammad, Mann and the wiley Tanseer Khawaja is bound to make noise. Some critics have claimed the team has too many cooks in the kitchen, however, Medina management sees no problem with this assessment as these same cooks are all Master Chefs. The team has a good combination of speed and power along with a defense which may end up being one of the most underrated in the league. The team expects the veterans to do their thing while allowing the likes of Durrani, Rangrez and Erfan Bhanapatel (“EBP”) to develop into solid contributors. Sleeper, Sameer Chawla (“Chawla”) is returning for his 2nd year and like Pusha T is looking to put numbers on the boards. Rumours continue to swirl, he has been receiving private batting lessons from some of the best hitters in the league, and is looking to replicate their success. Overall, the team should be a contender and anything less than playoff softball will be deemed an epic disaster.