Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has issued a cautionary message to Azam Khan and Saim Ayub regarding their recent performances in the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand. 

Azam has struggled to make an impact with the bat, registering scores of 10 and 2 in the first two games, accumulating only 19 runs in six career innings. Saim Ayub had an impressive start in the first match but was unfortunately run-out after scoring 27 in 8 balls, and he failed to make an impact in the second match, getting dismissed for 1 run from 3 balls. 

Expressing his concerns on his YouTube channel, Ramiz Raja emphasized that the miss-and-hit approach adopted by these players is not sustainable.

“New players have come into the team based on their strike rates. Whether it’s Saim Ayub or Azam Khan, relying on a miss-and-hit approach is not sustainable for the entire team combination. You need to put in more effort because opportunities like these don’t come again as these are brilliant batting conditions,” Raja said.

Pakistan’s batting coach, Adam Hollioake, addressed Azam Khan’s performance during a post-match conference after consecutive defeats for the Men in Green. He expects Azam to shine in the future, emphasizing that the young player has the potential to make a significant impact.

“Azam Khan is a destructive batter I mean unfortunately tonight he came in and he really needed to go straight away and he got out. One of those things where if it works you look great if it doesn’t work you look stupid. He’s an exciting player, a big hitter, though he hasn’t shown it in these two games. Expect him to shine in the future,” Adam said.