3 reasons why Azam Khan is must for Pakistan in their playing XI in the upcoming T20 World Cup

Young Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan was one of the star performers for Pakistan in the second T20I of the three-match series at Castle Avenue in Dublin. He attracted the headlines for his short but swashbuckling knock of 30 runs off just 10 balls, hitting one four and 4 sixes.

Azam Khan also left everyone stunned when he smashed 4 sixes in the 17th over to finish things off for Pakistan while chasing the target of 194 runs. On the back of Azam’s 4 sixes in the 17th over, Pakistan chased down the target comfortably in 16.5 overs, scoring 195  runs for the loss of just 3 wickets and winning the match by a big margin of 7 wickets.

Here we’ll look at the 3 reasons why Azam Khan is a must for Pakistan in their playing XI in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

Here’s a look at 3 reasons behind Azam Khan’s selection in playing XI in T20 World Cup 2024:

Finishing Ability – Could be a nightmare for bowlers in death overs

The way Azam Khan finished the match yesterday for Pakistan against Ireland was a signal for the other opponents, who will also be facing the men in green in the upcoming prestigious cricket biennial. He could be one of the most trusted batters for Pakistan, especially in the death overs.

It is also evident by the fact he played only 10 balls in the second T20I against the Irish side and smashed 30 runs, hitting one four and 4 massive sixes. So, it might be a big reason for Pakistan to pick him in the final XI in the T20 WC 2024.

Have already excelled in Windies’ conditions – had a good run in the past few CPL seasons

As the T20 World Cup 2024 is to be played in the Caribbean conditions; so, one of the prime reasons for Pakistan to pick Azam Khan in the XI is his experience of playing in the Caribbean conditions. He has played 3 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) seasons, in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons, respectively.

He has batted in 31 innings and has scored 695 runs, hitting 5 centuries, hitting 5 half-centuries, alongside 50 fours and 47 sixes. So, he could be one of the crucial assets for Pakistan while going into the T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean conditions.

A good middle-order or lower middle-order batting option for Pakistan

The batting in the lower-middle order has always been a concern for Pakistan in the last couple of years. It has also resulted in the sudden batting collapses for them. So, Azam Khan could be the best option to get things going for Pakistan in the middle-order and lower-middle order.

Having Azam Khan in the playing XI could resolve the concerns for Pakistan in the crucial WC matches, be it batting first or chasing the target.