Pakistan Cricket always is a talking point of the cricketing world whether it may be their teams performance on the field or the continuous circus within the selection committee in the Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) . Above all what stands tall is the statements made by players like wicket keeper batter Azam Khan highlighting the lack of opportunities players get within the National team.
With Pakistan Super league(PSL) round the corner and the next international assignment in T2oI format including tours to Ireland and England in May, the continuous circus in the Pakistan coaching changes and the Board often have the performers in the PSL and subsequent tours a place of doubt about their position in the team when the marquee World Cup arrives in June 2024.
Pakistan cricket -A tale of off field tantrums.
The saying in cricket and life “Why change something which dont requires any change” is becoming true and evident when we see the current plight of Pakistan cricket. With their complete coaching staff including 2017 Champions Trophy winning coach Mickey Arthur , who returned to his second string as Director for the World Cup 2023 had a dismal and torrid time as the Pakistan team under Babar Azam in the conditions similar to their own backyard in India exited in the round robin matches itself finishing 5th with only 4 wins to their name.
The most shocking was Pakistan lost to Afghanistan team which created huge ruckus amongst the team as well and it was evident that travel from Mumbai to Lahore wont be an easy travel for Mickey Arthur and company of bowling coaches like Morne Morkel and and supporting staff with the likes of Grant Bradburn .
After Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, all three were in limbo as the PCB’s temporary management committee lacked the authority to relieve them from their duties. They have had their roles reassigned and none of them travelled with the team for their recent Test tour of Australia, with Mohammad Hafeez acting as both Team Director and Head Coach, and Adam Hollioake as batting coach. Pakistan lost all three Tests there followed by 4 -1 loss to New Zealand in T20I series in New Zealand.
Pakistan have a lot of issues to sort out ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup especially with newly appointed T20I skipper, Shaheen Afridi, finishing his first ever series as leader with a 1-4 defeat against New Zealand. Pakistani wicket keeper batter Azam Khan who had a dismal tour to New Zealand scoring 22 runs in just 3 innings commented lack of opportunities given to him in the national squad.
Former Pakistani skipper Salman Butt lambasts Pakistani support staff post comments from Pakistan’s wicket keeper bat Azam Khan.
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt recently reacted to wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan’s comments about not getting a consistent run with the national team.
Azam Khan, who was part of the Men in Green squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand last month, scored 22 runs across three innings.
Butt opined that when the selectors had picked the youngster in the team, the team management should have included him in the playing XI for all the games. He also suggested that Azam Khan will have to understand at some point that Pakistani coaches aren’t going to add any real value to his game.
“See, he made some right points there related to the coaching staff. He said that he is being made to feel that he isn’t good enough. He is still very young. He will realize later in his career that some coaches aren’t real coaches; they are just there to praise the players. They want to please the players just so that they can retain their position,” Butt remarked in his latest YouTube video.
Azam Khan has carved a niche for himself in franchise-based T20 leagues with his explosive batting displays. However, he has failed to translate the same form into international cricket. He averages just 4.83 in T20Is after having chalked up 29 runs from seven innings.
Salman Butt’s message to Azam Khan regarding fitness.
Apart from his dismal batting performances for Pakistan, Azam Khan has also received a lot of flak for his fitness. Salman Butt believes that the 25-year-old must work on his fitness to be able to do well at the highest level.
The cricketer-turned-expert stated that Azam has the potential to succeed in international cricket if he works on himself.
“He (Azam Khan) should have gotten a chance to play the entire series. In a couple of matches, he went to bat when the required run rate was close to 13, which isn’t easy for any batter. However, if you want to play international cricket, you have to be fit. With the kind of talent that he has, he can perform a lot better if he works on his fitness,” Butt stated.
Azam Khan has been in brilliant form in the ongoing International League T20 (ILT20). With 159 runs from seven innings, he is the second-highest run-getter for Desert Vipers this season. With the PSL season just round the corner and the international tours to follow Pakistan and Azam Khan should look this as an opportunity as generating players and performances in order to built up a good T20I squad ahead of the marquee event in June 2024.