Alex Hales: “He’s a great guy to have in your team. Really nice guy”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
England cricketer Alex Hales said Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan is a “great guy to have in your team” as he can have a major impact during a game and is a “really nice” person as well.
Azam is seen as a top prospect in Pakistan and while he has shown how destructive he can be in T20 leagues and domestic cricket, he has failed to carry that momentum over to international cricket.
So far, the 25-year-old son of former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has scored 29 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 4.83 and a strike-rate of 90.62.
He recently earned a recall for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, but couldn’t live up to expectations as he was restricted to 22 runs in three games at an average of 7.33 and a strike-rate of 115.78.
Nonetheless, Hales knows how good Azam can be and has backed him to have a lot of success in his career.
“He’s a great guy to have in your team. Really nice guy,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Both Hales and Azam are now playing for Islamabad United in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), with the former having made 147 runs in nine games at an average of 16.33 and a strike-rate of 125.64.
Azam, meanwhile, has scored 174 runs in 10 matches at an average of 24.85 and a strike-rate of 187.09.
Islamabad have booked their spot in the playoffs and ended up beating the Quetta Gladiators by 39 runs in Eliminator 1 on March 15.
They will now go up against the Peshawar Zalmi in Eliminator 2 on March 16, with the winner going on to face the Multan Sultans in the final on March 18.
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 9: Shadab Khan (captain), Naseem Shah, Jordan Cox, Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Tymal Mills, Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Matthew Forde, Salman Ali Agha, Qasim Akram, Shahab Khan, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shamyl Hussain, Obed McCoy, Haider Ali, Muhammad Waseem
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