EFLI Stat Sheet - Pakistan Wolfpak

Pakistan, in the first season of EFLI, was represented in the form of the Pakistan Wolfpak. They could not make the semi-finals, but they showed up on the grounds and were always dedicated and committed to playing ball.

Here we look at their stat sheet from the first season to see how they did across the various parameters.

The Offense

The 6’1” Jahangir Nawaz was entrusted with the playmaking duties for the Green Machine and he came out as one of the positives for the team in the first season. The wiry framed quarter-back was able to amass 372 all-purpose yards (346 passing and 26 rushing) at a completion rate of 47.5 percent on his throws.

He may not have lit up the league, but he held his own amongst the leaders in the backfield. His quarter back rating as well as average yards from his throws fall right in the middle of the pack when it comes to quarter back stats.

Rushing with the ball wasn’t the favoured option for Wolfpak. The Pakistanis attempted to run the ball only 58 times during the tournament, the lowest number in this regard. With the Wolves not opting to run the ball that often, it made for deflating numbers for the rushers. Only Shenal Dias was able to dial up any sort of respectable numbers; averaging 10.3 yards on his runs.

It was Shenal Dias again making his presence felt in the aerial game as well. The 6’4” Dias used his size to his advantage as he went on to become Jahangir Nawaz’s favourite target and star of the wide receiver quartet. Of the 17 throws that were directed at him, Dias was able to connect with Nawaz on 10 occasions, including 2 touchdowns. Shenal Dias was ably complemented by Waqar Javaid who was able to garner a respectable 113 yards on 60% completion. This also included a couple of grabs in the end-zone while averaging a respectable 18.8 yards.

One of the main reasons for their disappointing campaign in the first season in which they could only manage one win in five games was the number of turnovers they committed. The Wolves committed a total of 8 fumbles; losing 3 of them while recovering on 7.

The Defense

Of all of the components of the Wolfpak’s game, their defensive line certainly did make a mark. The Wolves were the only team in the league to record 3 sacks with wide receiver Waqar Javaid making his impact felt on defense as well. Javaid became the only one in the league to record more than 1 sack in the whole of the season.

Chirag Amit chipped in with a sack of his own while Hamza Hassan recorded the only interception that the Pakistanis were able to record.

The secondary however left a lot to be desired as even with the defensive line putting up impressive numbers, the Wolfpak conceded 91 points in their 5 encounters. Take the Vipers game out of it and it was 88 in 4 games.

The Special Teams

The names of Shenal Dias and Waqar Javaid prop up again when it comes to plays for the special team. Shenal Dias was the leading kick returner in terms of average yards per return (a whopping 28.7 average on returns), while Javaid chips in with a couple of impressive returns himself. It was Inthikab Sheriff though, who lead the Wolfpak in terms of total yardage on kick returns.

Shahzad Anwar was given the responsibility for kicking. While Anwar was in the middle of the pack in terms of punting, he didn’t have the opportunity to attempt any field goals. His black mark however came in terms of extra points, where he failed in all the attempts he got.

The Wolfpak emerged with three cornerstones for the franchise in the form of Shenal Dias, WaqarJavaid and Jahangir Nawaz from the first season. With more exposure to the game, better chemistry and further sharpening of football skills the only way for the Green warriors from the North is up.