Azhar Mahmood: “As a coach I would like to see him more fit and more agile and that’s the conversation we had with him and he is very keen to work on his fitness”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Azhar Mahmood said he wants Pakistan power-hitter Azam Khan to be “more fit and more agile” as it will help him evolve into an increasingly dangerous batsman.
Azam, the son of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Moin Khan, is one of the bright prospects in Pakistan cricket right now and showed off his skills in the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The 24-year-old thumped 282 runs in 10 matches for Islamabad United, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 40.28 and a strike-rate of 161.14.
Mahmood, who coached the team in PSL 8, said the talented youngster is keen to get in shape but added that he now has to take the initiative to put his words into action.
“He is a young kid and when you are playing franchise cricket, it’s up to him how he wants to evolve as a person or as a player. As a coach I would like to see him more fit and more agile and that’s the conversation we had with him and he is very keen to work on his fitness,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
The Pakistan team recently beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in a Test series and Afghanistan 3-0 in an ODI series.
They then featured in the Asia Cup, where they fell short in their bid to reach the final.
Currently, they are taking part in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, where they defeated the Netherlands by 81 runs and Sri Lanka by six wickets after chasing down a target of 345, which was the highest successful run chase in the history of the tournament.
Pakistan will now be looking for their third win in a row when they take on India on October 14 in Ahmedabad.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali
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