IN a few short years, Nafis Shaikh went from never having played cricket to the cusp of English county selection for Derbyshire.
It’s been a rapid rise for the 18-year-old batsman, but he hopes experiencing Australian conditions can help fast-track his development even further.
Shaikh will play as Coomealla Wentworth’s import this Sunraysia Cricket Association season and is determined to help the NSW side to their first premiership in First Division since 1987/88.
With a highest score of 168 for Derbyshire’s Under 18 team and multiple games for the county Second XI under his belt, he certainly has the talent to do so.
“I know they’ve been pushing the finals and semi-finals stages and hopefully we can go that step further and I can help contribute to that,” Shaikh said.
Born in India, Shaikh and his family moved to the UK in 2013, however despite enjoying watching cricket he didn’t play until age age 14 in 2018.
A chance encounter helped put him on the path of playing the game.
“I just never knew much about the game in terms of how it works in England and didn’t know what club cricket was really, until I met a man named Nazaqat Ali playing in the park and he sort of introduced me to cricket in the UK,” he said.
“‘Naz’ has been a real mentor for me and supportive in helping me with everything.”
Being around the Derbyshire First XI team members, currently coached by former Australian and South African coach Micky Arthur, has already helped the right-hander develop his game.
“You learn a lot, especially being around the players all the time,” he said.
“You can always pick their brain even if you’re not playing. I’ve been 12th man for quite a few games for the First XI, so just to be around the group helps a lot.
“I haven’t had much contact time with Micky personally but certainly hearing from the boys, it’s a very good change that’s happened at Derbyshire and we can see that through the results that have been coming through since he’s joined.”
Shaikh said he wanted to experience Australian conditions and was prepared to grab the opportunity to play for Coomealla Wentworth “with both hands”.
Just three days after arriving in Australia he made 22 for the Blues in their round 4 loss to Nichols Point.
“The conditions are different here and it should help me develop and mature my game and I see that as a massive opportunity,” he said.
“Runs give you a lot of confidence so hopefully I can spend some time at the crease, score some runs and hopefully when I go back home I can replicate that.
“The biggest different I’ve found so far is the just the mentality of how they approach their games. There’s definitely a different brand of cricket here, they play hard and enjoy it which is the main factor.”
