Sarfraz Ahmed’s team Quetta Gladiators started off their PSL 5 campaign with a victory over Islamabad United and youngster Azam Khan played a major part in it. Quetta Gladiators skipper was the happiest man as he predicted two years ago that Azam will be a suitable batsman for the shortest format of the game.
Azam is the son of former Pakistan captain and one of the best wicketkeepers the country has ever produced, Moin Khan. He was retained by the defending champions Gladiators for this season of PSL.
He started this season’s PSL with a brilliant fifty in his first game. He scored 59 off just 33 balls hitting five fours and three sixes in Gladiator’s match against Islamabad United in the opening bout of the latest season of the T20 League. Before him, Mohammad Hasnain picked 4/25 and Ben Cutting picked 3/31 as United was kept to 168 runs in 20 overs as only Dawid Malan made 64 while Ronchi and Faheem scored 20-odd runs.
Meanwhile, Sarfraz said two years ago that he will be a pure T20 batsman and the young lad has kept his skippers’ word so far.
“Azam has been performing [well] in domestic cricket and Ramazan tournaments. He is pure T20 material, for which he was picked and once he plays in the PSL I don’t think anybody will question his selection,” he said.
Azam grabbed the spotlight first when he made his List-A debut for Pakistan Television in the 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam One Day Cup. He was then picked by the Quetta Gladiators in PSL season 4 in 2019. The youngster was criticised as people claimed he was just picked because he is the son of former cricketer Moin Khan. After two years, Azam finally managed to prove his worth.
Meanwhile, it was a thrilling win for Quetta in the opening game. After bowling out Islamabad for 168 runs, Quetta chased down the total in 18.3 overs and with 3 wickets in hand. Azam played the match-winning knock and he was also the leading run-scorer of the day for the defending champions. Islamabad United are playing their second game of the tournament against Multan’s Sultans.
