Misbah-ul-Haq on Azam Khan: “Azam is improving day by day and is meeting [the] targets given to him and we are trying to get him to the same fitness level the rest of the team has attained”
Image courtesy of: Pakistan Super League
Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan’s fitness is “improving day by day” and he is “meeting [the] targets given to him”.
Misbah’s praise for Azam, who is the son of former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Moin Khan, comes after he earned his maiden call-up to the national team for the upcoming tours of England and the West Indies.
The youngster has been included in the Pakistan team after turning heads with his performances in domestic cricket.
In the Pakistan Cup, the 22-year-old accumulated 186 runs in seven games for Sindh, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 46.50 and a strike-rate of 124.83.
As for the Pakistan Super League (PSL), he scored 174 runs in 10 matches for the Quetta Gladiators, which included a top score of 47, at an average of 17.40 and a strike-rate of 133.84.
“Players like Sharjeel Khan and before him Umar Akmal or Ahsan Ali – all of them were given fitness targets and that is condition for their selection,” Misbah was quoted as saying by PakPassion.
“So Azam is improving day by day and is meeting [the] targets given to him and we are trying to get him to the same fitness level the rest of the team has attained.”
Pakistan will play three ODIs and three T20 Internationals against England. The ODI series will begin on July 8 and conclude on July 13, while the T20 series will be held from July 16 to 20.
The tour of the West Indies will consist of five T20 Internationals and two Tests, with the T20 series getting underway on July 27 and ending on August 3.
As for the Test series, it will start on August 12 and conclude on August 24.
Pakistan Test Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dhani, Yasir Shah (subject to fitness) and Zahid Mahmood
Pakistan ODI Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Qadir
Pakistan T20 Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir