NEW DELHI: Pakistani batsman Azam Khan first came to attention in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he demonstrated his ability to turn matches with his powerful shots.
Despite his impressive skills, Azam faced criticism in the early stages of his career due to concerns over his fitness levels, an issue that was also a major 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 Rajathe former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Association (Circuit board).
Moin blames Ramiz for hindering his son’s progress in cricket, pointing in particular to the controversial decision to drop Azam before the T20 World Cup in 2021.
“Azam was selected for the team in the 2022 (2021) World Cup as well, but Ramiz Raja dropped him. If the chief selector had made a wrong selection then, he should have been removed, but they did not have the courage to do so and thereby demoralised a young player. In this World Cup too, you can see how he played,” Moin told Cricket Pakistan.
Moin also expressed his disapproval over the decision to drop Azam from the squad after a single match. The promising wicketkeeper-batsman failed to score a point in the match against USA, leading to Pakistan’s unexpected defeat.
“I watched the entire World Cup and the games before it and it seemed like Azam was the first choice as a wicketkeeper and batter. Then suddenly, after just one game, the whole strategy was changed. Azam was not given a chance to keep wickets after one game and was dropped after being run out on the first ball,” he said.
However, Moin stressed that Azam needs to get stronger “physically and mentally” to maintain his performance at the highest level.
“I am not saying that all the blame lies with the team management and the captain; Azam has his own weaknesses too. He needs to get stronger physically and mentally and emulate the fitness regimes of other sportspeople. In the last month, I have noticed that he is working hard on his fitness with his coach Shehzar Mohammad and even taking him to the Caribbean League,” said Moin.
Despite his impressive skills, Azam faced criticism in the early stages of his career due to concerns over his fitness levels, an issue that was also a major 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 Rajathe former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Association (Circuit board).
Moin blames Ramiz for hindering his son’s progress in cricket, pointing in particular to the controversial decision to drop Azam before the T20 World Cup in 2021.
“Azam was selected for the team in the 2022 (2021) World Cup as well, but Ramiz Raja dropped him. If the chief selector had made a wrong selection then, he should have been removed, but they did not have the courage to do so and thereby demoralised a young player. In this World Cup too, you can see how he played,” Moin told Cricket Pakistan.
Moin also expressed his disapproval over the decision to drop Azam from the squad after a single match. The promising wicketkeeper-batsman failed to score a point in the match against USA, leading to Pakistan’s unexpected defeat.
“I watched the entire World Cup and the games before it and it seemed like Azam was the first choice as a wicketkeeper and batter. Then suddenly, after just one game, the whole strategy was changed. Azam was not given a chance to keep wickets after one game and was dropped after being run out on the first ball,” he said.
However, Moin stressed that Azam needs to get stronger “physically and mentally” to maintain his performance at the highest level.
“I am not saying that all the blame lies with the team management and the captain; Azam has his own weaknesses too. He needs to get stronger physically and mentally and emulate the fitness regimes of other sportspeople. In the last month, I have noticed that he is working hard on his fitness with his coach Shehzar Mohammad and even taking him to the Caribbean League,” said Moin.
