Pakistan’s hopes in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand have taken a hit as wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan has been sidelined due to a grade one tear in his right calf muscle. The injury, confirmed by radiology reports, has forced Azam to withdraw from the squad and begin a ten-day rest period as advised by medical experts.
According to a statement from the PCB, Azam will now undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore under the supervision of the PCB medical panel. The injury was detected during his training session prior to the first T20I, which unfortunately was called off after just two balls due to rain.
Despite his limited international experience with eight T20Is, Azam’s reputation as a power hitter precedes him. However, his performance in recent matches has been underwhelming, managing only 29 runs in seven innings with a highest score of 10. Despite this, his impressive showing in the previous edition of the CPL, where he contributed 224 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 155.55 for Guyana Amazon Warriors, had put him in contention for a spot in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad.
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With the World Cup scheduled for June in the Caribbean and the USA, Pakistan will now have to explore alternative options in Azam’s absence. The return of players like Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, who have performed well in CPL and have recently been brought back into the mix, provides some depth to the squad.
Following the conclusion of the series against New Zealand on April 27, Pakistan is set to play seven more matches as part of their preparations for the T20 World Cup, with three matches scheduled in Ireland and four in England.
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