Pakistan big-hitter Azam Khan: “If you give me a long run and I don’t perform, I have no problem if Pakistan drop me”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan big-hitting batsman Azam Khan wants a prolonged period to prove himself at the international level and confirmed that he is ready to be dropped if he fails to perform.
The 25-year-old has made three separate comebacks to the T20I team over the past three years, but each time, he has not lived up to expectations in the handful of games he has played.
Azam has featured in eight T20Is and mustered 29 runs at an average of 4.83 and a strike-rate of 90.62.
In Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January 2024, he had a disappointing campaign as he was restricted to 22 runs in three games at an average of 7.33 and a strike-rate of 115.78.
Azam insisted that he needs a longer run to show what he can do and reiterated that if he can’t get the job done with the bat, then he won’t argue with the selectors’ decision to drop him.
“If you give me a long run and I don’t perform, I have no problem if Pakistan drop me,” he told Cricwick as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam was recently involved in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and scored 226 runs in 12 matches for Islamabad United, which included a top score of 75, at an average of 25.11 and a strike-rate of 171.21.
He was supposed to feature in Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand in April 2024, but was ruled out after suffering a grade one tear in his right calf muscle.
Next up for Pakistan will be a three-match T20I series against Ireland from May 10 to 14.
After that, they will play four T20Is against England from May 22 to May 30.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
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