Shaheen Shah Afridi: “Azam is the best performer in domestic cricket at [number] 5 [and] 6. His average and strike-rate is the best in Pakistan at these positions”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi said wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan is the best option at number five or six based on his performances in domestic cricket.

Afridi’s defence of Azam comes after the latter failed to impress in the recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

The 25-year-old son of former Pakistan skipper Moin Khan could only muster 22 runs in three games at an average of 7.33 and a strike-rate of 115.78.

Despite this, Afridi pointed out that Azam has the best average and strike-rate out of any batsmen at the number five and six spot in Pakistan.

“Azam is the best performer in domestic cricket at [number] 5 [and] 6. His average and strike-rate is the best in Pakistan at these positions,” the former T20I captain was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

Azam represented Islamabad United in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and amassed 226 runs in 12 matches, which included a top score of 75, at an average of 25.11 and a strike-rate of 171.21.

Afridi, meanwhile, captained the Lahore Qalandars and took 14 wickets in nine games at an average of 22.14 and an economy rate of 8.61.

Pakistan’s next assignment will be a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which will take place in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18 to 27.

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

Lahore Qalandars Squad for PSL 9: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Sahibzada Farhan, Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Imran, Ahsan Hafeez, Dan Lawrence, Jahandad Khan, Syed Faridoun, Shai Hope, Kamran Ghulam, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Tayyab Abbas

MORE PAKISTAN CRICKET NEWS: Mohammad Nawaz out and those two in, Basit Ali feels this change could happen for Pakistan’s T20I series against New Zealand

[TS_Poll id=”23″]