Shoaib Akhtar: “[I would] prove my power-hitting by scoring a century in 33 balls”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has challenged wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan to prove his power-hitting by scoring 100 runs off 33 balls.
Akhtar’s comments come at a time where the 26-year-old has been criticised for his failure to score runs consistently.
He noted that if Azam were to smash an electrifying hundred, he would immediately become the talk of the town.
“[I would] prove my power-hitting by scoring a century in 33 balls,” Akhtar, nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express, was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“If you’re listening to me – and I know you always do – just do it and show the world what you’re capable of.”
Azam was recently in action for Islamabad United in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he made 66 runs in seven games at an average of 11 and a strike-rate of 101.53.
Following PSL 10, Pakistan took on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series, but Azam failed to make the cut when the squad was announced.
The men in green won the series 3-0.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper) and Saim Ayub
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