Former Pakistan cricketer Moin Khan has slammed Ramiz Raja for not treating his son Azam Khan well and demoralizing the youngster by dropping him.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan has struggled to find his feed in international cricket, accumulating just 88 runs in 14 matches and 13 innings while having a high score of 30 not out in T20 internationals, despite making his debut three years back.
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Azam was included in Pakistan's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup but after the team's terrible results against arch-rivals India and minnows USA, the player faced criticism and trolling relating to his fitness on the pitch.
What did Moin Khan say about Ramiz Raja?
Moin, who was a prominent name in Pakistan cricket during the '90s and early 2000s, slammed his former colleague Ramiz Raja. Raja served as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board between September 2021 and December 2022.
As chairman, he oversaw Pakistan's two T20 World Cup campaigns and played an important role in the team selections.
Moin felt that Raja intentionally ignored his son Azam from the squads that travelled for the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and also the youngster while he was in the team.
"In the 2022 (2021) World Cup, Azam was also selected for the team, but Ramiz Raja dropped him. At that time, if the chief selector had made a wrong selection, he should have been removed, but they didn't have the courage, and as a result, they demoralized a young player. In this World Cup as well, you can see how he was played."
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Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, the former wicketkeeper said, "In the 2022 (2021) World Cup, Azam was also selected for the team, but Ramiz Raja dropped him. At that time, if the chief selector had made a wrong selection, he should have been removed, but they didn't have the courage, and as a result, they demoralized a young player. In this World Cup as well, you can see how he was played."
Khan criticised his son as well as he claimed that the 26-year-old needs to work on his fitness. He added, "I'm not saying that all the blame lies with the team management and the captain; Azam has his own shortcomings too.
"He needs to make himself physically and mentally stronger, follow the fitness routines of other sportsmen. For the past month or so, I’ve noticed he’s been working hard to improve his fitness with his trainer Shehzar Mohammad, even taking him along to the Caribbean League."
What next for Pakistan cricket team?
After an embarrassing series loss against Bangladesh on home soil, Pakistan will now host England in a three-match series in Pakistan next month.
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