The Pakistan cricket team has suffered a major blow. Azam Khan, their swashbuckling wicketkeeper batter, has been ruled out of the PAK vs NZ T20I series. The 25-year-old was included in the squad for the 5-match series but wasn’t selected in the first two matches of the series.
Fitness continues to be an issue for Azam Khan
Having failed a fitness test last month, fitness persists as an issue for the talented wicketkeeper. Azam was present at the Kakul Academy during a fitness camp organized by the Pakistan Military for the players to improve their power-hitting abilities and fitness. That camp seems to have misfired for Azam Khan and the Pakistan cricket team.
After Pakistan claimed a convincing 7-wicket victory in Rawalpindi, the Babar Azam-led side has been handed a hefty blow. Azam Khan has been ruled out of the series after he picked up a Grade I tear in his right calf, according to ESPNcricinfo.
A statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed that Azam will leave the team and report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore and that he’ll “commence his rehabilitation process under the supervision of the PCB medical panel.”
He’s also been advised to rest for the next 10 days and will therefore miss the remainder of the series, which ends on April 27. The wicketkeeper batter seemed to have picked up the injury during the training session on April 18. Azam Khan may return to the Pakistan cricket team in May on their tour to Ireland and then England.
