Haris Rauf: “We can never doubt them. Obviously, when you back such players, their innings will click, and they will start delivering better performances”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has come to the defence of underperforming Pakistan batsmen Saim Ayub and Azam Khan, saying “we can never doubt them”.
Ayub and Azam have been given plenty of opportunities to prove their worth in T20Is, but neither of them have been able to score runs consistently.
While questions have been raised about whether both batsmen deserve to remain in the squad, Rauf stressed that they should keep getting chances as it is only a matter of time before they “start delivering better performances”.
“Sometimes your performance as a player might not be up to the mark. But you should have confidence in your abilities, and just like that player has won matches on numerous occasions in the past at different stages. We can never doubt them. Obviously, when you back such players, their innings will click, and they will start delivering better performances,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
In Pakistan’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Ayub made 57 runs at an average of 14.25 and a strike-rate of 129.54, while Azam was ruled out with a grade one tear in his right calf muscle.
The men in green then played three T20Is against Ireland and Ayub finished with 65 runs at an average of 21.66 and a strike-rate of 151.16.
As for Azam, he amassed 48 runs at an average of 48 and a strike-rate of 266.66.
Most recently, Pakistan took on England in a four-match T20I series and Ayub mustered two runs in the one match he played.
Azam, meanwhile, scored 11 runs in two matches at an average of 5.50 and a strike-rate of 73.33.
Pakistan will now feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is taking place in the West Indies and United States of America.
The men in green’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
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