By Michael Wojtychiw
For many athletes, it’s a dream come true to represent the country that their family originates from. Years of hard work, an incredible number of games and hours practicing your craft, all of it makes it worth it to wear the national colors.
Some athletes have to wait a long time for this to happen, while for some, like Lane rising junior Amaan Khan, it happens at a younger age. Khan, who played on the Lane Tech junior-varsity squad this season, was named to Pakistan’s National Team last week and will represent the country of his ancestors as it tries to qualify for the World Baseball Classic for the first time.
“To be honest, I just remember watching it on TV when I was little and I really didn’t think it would ever happen,” he said. “The crazy thing was that I remember a couple weeks before that I was talking with my dad, telling him ‘whatever it takes to make this team I gotta do. And I really wanna make this team.’ Then it happened.
“Honestly, just to be able to represent the country in any way has just been a thing since I’ve been little…Pakistan’s not a very big country when it comes to baseball, but the amount of talent that this team has is phenomenal. We got guys in the minor leagues, we got guys that are playing college ball, a couple of high schoolers, the team is pretty solid.”
The obvious answer is yes, as he was one of only two high school players named to Pakistan’s WBC team.
“It’s a privilege and an honor for him to be able to do this,” his dad, Azeem, said. “All of the credit goes to all of his coaches who have believed in him. And the credit goes to him for all of his hard work ethic, for his dedication, for his focus, for his determination.
“This kid breeds it, he lives it, he wants it. You know, it’s a dream, it’s a dream come true as a father.”
After the first four tournaments featured 16 teams, this year’s World Baseball Classic will include 20 teams, all 16 teams from the 2017 tournament, as well as four teams that will go through a qualification round, which consists of two six-team pools, or six-team double-elimination tournaments that will see the champion and runner-up qualify for the WBC.
Pakistan is in a qualifying pool with Panama, Nicaragua, Brazil, Argentina and New Zealand. The Pakistani team has partici[ated in one of the previous qualifying rounds – 2017- but went 0-2, so will be looking for its first win when qualification takes place in September in Panama.
When Khan takes to the mound, he’ll not only be potentially one of the youngest players in the WBC, but also will be going up against numerous professional players. That, however, doesn’t seem to faze him.
“It’s a little bit intimidating, but it’s just having confidence in yourself,” he said. “I’ve gone through big-time division one guys now this summer to where I can get them out on ground balls, flyouts and strikeouts. And just having confidence in yourself can go the entire way against these guys.”
Khan, a right-handed pitcher, also plays for the Elite Baseball travel squad and has seen his play develop nicely not only during the summer, but also during the spring high school season as well. He said he’s been working on his nutrition, working out in the weight room and just getting stronger in general.
With his summer team’s schedule now done, Khan will look to rest his arm for the WBC as he prepares for the training camp that he and his teammates will take part in a couple days before the tournament starts.
While it hasn’t been announced if the qualifying games will be broadcast on television, Khan is excited for his coaches and teammates back at Lane to cheer him on as he and Pakistan look to make history.
