Pakistan power-hitter Azam Khan: “There’s no one close to my batting numbers at the No.5 and No.6 positions in Pakistan. In the last four years, only twelve batters have scored runs at an average of more than 25 and a strike-rate in excess of 145 in T20 cricket”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan firmly believes there is no other Pakistan batsman as good as him at the number five or six spot in T20Is.
To back up his bold claim, the 25-year-old noted that he is just one of 12 players who average over 25 and have a strike-rate over 145 in the last four years.
Azam has been in and out of the Pakistan T20I team over the past three years and feels he deserves a prolonged run to show how dominant he can be.
The son of former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has featured in eight T20Is to date and accumulated 29 runs at an average of 4.83 and a strike-rate of 90.62.
His most recent assignment was the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January 2024, where he amassed 22 runs in three games at an average of 7.33 and a strike-rate of 115.78.
Despite his low scores, Azam has been a lethal force in domestic cricket and various T20 leagues. As a result of this, he called on the Pakistan selectors to keep picking him so that he can repay their faith by winning matches for the men in green.
“There’s no one close to my batting numbers at the No.5 and No.6 positions in Pakistan. In the last four years, only twelve batters have scored runs at an average of more than 25 and a strike-rate in excess of 145 in T20 cricket,” he told Cricwick as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
“The complete list includes Tim David, Glenn Phillips, Glenn Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, Azam Khan, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Harry Brook, Suryakumar Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Liam Livingstone and Heinrich Klaasen.
“If I stand among these T20 greats in terms of average and strike-rate and I am not given the confidence, cricket has become so fast-paced that it won’t be a financial problem for me because you get so many league cricket tournaments. I know I have this opportunity to make money but I want to play for Pakistan.”
Azam is currently in action for Islamabad United in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has made 196 runs in 11 matches, which includes a top score of 75, at an average of 24.50 and a strike-rate of 178.18.
Islamabad managed to book their spot in the playoffs and went on to beat the Quetta Gladiators by 39 runs in Eliminator 1 before taking down the Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets in Eliminator 2.
They will now 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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