Fakhar Zaman: “I can also say that you’ve [come] here by recommendation, but it would be a good thing if you see how a player has come, how much struggle he has gone through. In my opinion, you should also come after doing a little research first”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman has defended wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan, saying he isn’t in the team because of nepotism.
Azam has constantly been bombarded with nepotism claims since he is the son of former Pakistan captain Moin Khan.
However, Zaman shielded the 25-year-old, pointing out that the big-hitter has worked incredibly hard to get to where he is today.
“I can also say that you’ve [come] here by recommendation, but it would be a good thing if you see how a player has come, how much struggle he has gone through. In my opinion, you should also come after doing a little research first,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam missed Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand with a grade one tear in his right calf muscle.
He returned for the three-match T20I series against Ireland and scored 48 runs at an average of 48 and a strike-rate of 266.66.
Right now, Pakistan are playing a four-match T20I series against England and are 1-0 down going into the final game on May 30.
Following this, they will feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and United States of America from June 1 to 29.
Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
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
Pakistan Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed