NEW DELHI: Pakistan batter Azam Khan first gained attention in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he showcased his ability to turn games around with his powerful shots.
Despite his impressive skills, Azam faced scrutiny in the early stages of his career due to concerns about his fitness levels. This issue has also been a significant factor in his exclusion from the national team.
Moin Khan, a former wicketkeeper-batter for Pakistan and the father of Azam, has spoken out against Ramiz Raja, the ex-chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Moin holds Ramiz responsible for hindering his son’s progress in cricket, specifically pointing to the contentious decision to exclude Azam from the squad prior to the T20 World Cup in 2021.
“In the 2022 (2021) World Cup, Azam was also selected for the team, but Ramiz Raja dropped him. At that time, if the chief selector had made a wrong selection, he should have been removed, but they didn’t have the courage, and as a result, they demoralized a young player. In this World Cup as well, you can see how he played,” Moin told Cricket Pakistan.
Moin also expressed his disapproval regarding the choice to drop Azam from the squad after a single game. The promising wicketkeeper-batsman failed to score in the match against USA, which resulted in Pakistan’s unexpected loss.
“I watched the entire World Cup and the matches leading up to it, and it seemed like Azam was the number one choice for wicketkeeping and batting. Then suddenly, after just one match, the entire strategy was changed. Azam wasn’t given a chance to keep wickets after one match and was dropped after getting out on the very first ball,” he said .
However, Moin emphasized that Azam needs to become “physically and mentally” stronger to maintain his performance at the highest level.
“I’m not saying that all the blame lies with the team management and the captain; Azam has his own shortcomings too. He needs to make himself physically and mentally stronger, follow the fitness routines of other sportsmen. For the past month or so, I’ve noticed he’s been working hard to improve his fitness with his trainer Shehzar Mohammad, even taking him along to the Caribbean League,” said Moin.
Despite his impressive skills, Azam faced scrutiny in the early stages of his career due to concerns about his fitness levels. This issue has also been a significant factor in his exclusion from the national team.
Moin Khan, a former wicketkeeper-batter for Pakistan and the father of Azam, has spoken out against Ramiz Raja, the ex-chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Moin holds Ramiz responsible for hindering his son’s progress in cricket, specifically pointing to the contentious decision to exclude Azam from the squad prior to the T20 World Cup in 2021.
“In the 2022 (2021) World Cup, Azam was also selected for the team, but Ramiz Raja dropped him. At that time, if the chief selector had made a wrong selection, he should have been removed, but they didn’t have the courage, and as a result, they demoralized a young player. In this World Cup as well, you can see how he played,” Moin told Cricket Pakistan.
Moin also expressed his disapproval regarding the choice to drop Azam from the squad after a single game. The promising wicketkeeper-batsman failed to score in the match against USA, which resulted in Pakistan’s unexpected loss.
“I watched the entire World Cup and the matches leading up to it, and it seemed like Azam was the number one choice for wicketkeeping and batting. Then suddenly, after just one match, the entire strategy was changed. Azam wasn’t given a chance to keep wickets after one match and was dropped after getting out on the very first ball,” he said .
However, Moin emphasized that Azam needs to become “physically and mentally” stronger to maintain his performance at the highest level.
“I’m not saying that all the blame lies with the team management and the captain; Azam has his own shortcomings too. He needs to make himself physically and mentally stronger, follow the fitness routines of other sportsmen. For the past month or so, I’ve noticed he’s been working hard to improve his fitness with his trainer Shehzar Mohammad, even taking him along to the Caribbean League,” said Moin.
