Azhar Mahmood: “Move on from Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood, you have had Faheem Ashraf previously and he is coming back in the team. Similarly, you have Aamer Jamal, who can fill the void of a pace all-rounder”
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Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood believes all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Aamer Jamal “will transform into great players”.
He noted that both of them can be the new generation of all-rounders that everyone speaks about.
Currently, many people mention Abdul Razzaq and Mahmood’s names when talking about the best all-rounders of the past.
However, Mahmood insisted that it’s time for people to “move on” and show their support and appreciation for Faheem and Jamal.
“Move on from Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood, you have had Faheem Ashraf previously and he is coming back in the team. Similarly, you have Aamer Jamal, who can fill the void of a pace all-rounder. It is just about giving them consistent chances. These players have given performances, they will transform into great players, Aamer performed in Australia with the bat and the ball. Faheem has performed too. It is just about consistency,” he was quoted as saying by PakPassion on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Look at New Zealand’s players, they are playing together from a long time. They play international cricket and give confidence to their players for a longer period. We have a huge player pool, so when a player doesn’t perform we bring his replacement quickly. You cannot build teams like this.”
Faheem recently featured in Pakistan’s ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, while Jamal was not selected.
In the one game he played, Faheem scored 22 runs but went wicketless.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be held from February 19 to March 9.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah