Pakistan’s batting coach, Adam Hollioake, shares his perspective on the playing XI spot of wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan in the remaining T20I series against New Zealand.
Azam Khan, the 25-year-old talent, faced challenges in making a significant impact with scores of 10 and 2 in the initial two games. Throughout his six innings in his career, Azam has accumulated only 19 runs.
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During the post-match conference following consecutive defeats for the Men in Green, Adam shed light on Azam’s performance.
He acknowledged that Azam faced a challenging night where an immediate impact was crucial.
“Azam Khan is a destructive batter. Unfortunately, tonight he needed to make an impact quickly and got out. It’s one of those situations where success makes you look great, and if it doesn’t work, you look otherwise. Despite not showcasing his big-hitting capabilities in these two games, he’s an exciting player, and I expect him to shine in the future,” Adam expressed.
When questioned about Azam Khan’s position in the squad for upcoming matches, the national team’s batting coach recognized the presence of other talented players.
“I don’t know. He’s a talented guy, but there are many talented players in the squad. We need to assess the pitch and the team’s composition in the next game. It’s not just about deserving a spot; in Pakistan, you have to be at the top of your game to be selected. We’ll see how things unfold,” he stated.
Recall, New Zealand secured a 21-run victory against Pakistan in the second T20I of the five-match series.
The visitors faced hurdles in chasing the 195-run target, losing both openers, Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub, within the first overs for just 10 runs.
Despite a promising 87-run partnership between Babar and Fakhar Zaman, the Green Shirts faced challenges, finding themselves at 125-6 in 14.3 overs after Fakhar’s departure.
Middle-order batsmen Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam, and Aamer Jamal couldn’t provide the needed support.
Once again, Babar Azam led the scoring for the Men in Green, with 66 runs off 43 balls, but New Zealand’s Adam Milne secured four wickets, supported by notable contributions from Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, and Tim Southee.
In the first innings, Finn Allen’s explosive innings of 74 runs propelled New Zealand to a 194-run total with seven fours and five sixes.
