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[VIDEOS] Azam Khan - Performance Watch

umarf76 said:
Weight loss is not just abotu discipline. Some people are heavier than others, some have health conditions etc. We all know that he works hard enough.
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If all his hardwork gets him to look like what he does now, i am sorry he doesnt belong in sports. Its not his fault and its just unfortunate for him, nothing else. He needs to take cue from very good domestic players like Mark cogsrove or even international players like Richard Levi who couldnt lose weight due to genetic issues and were discarded for fitness issues. Its just badluck for such players that they have this genetic disadvantage. They shouldnt be made a part of any national team and should find another career or become coaches.
 
Madplayer said:
If all his hardwork gets him to look like what he does now, i am sorry he doesnt belong in sports. Its not his fault and its just unfortunate for him, nothing else. He needs to take cue from very good domestic players like Mark cogsrove or even international players like Richard Levi who couldnt lose weight due to genetic issues and were discarded for fitness issues. Its just badluck for such players that they have this genetic disadvantage. They shouldnt be made a part of any national team and should find another career or become coaches.
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But what's the issue if they are athletic.Azam took a blinder the other day

Many slim players are horrible fielders/runners too
 
Titan24 said:
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Thats incredible ajillity for a big guy hopefully he keeps working on his fitness
 
I hope azam khan keeps working on his fitness and his keeping if he can he can be an integral part of Pakistan squad
 
JibranAnsari said:
great catch for a fielder , as a keeper he didnt move his feet early enough but his wonderful reflexes let him get there in time.
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No, just moved towards the line of the ball and was wrong-footed. Can't judge his footwork from that.
 
He can hit the ball a long way but his shot selection is poor.He wants to hit every ball for a four or a six.
You can't do that on cricket.The Afghan players are good power hitters but get over excited and give away their wickets.
 
Taken Hasaranga (Who troubled Pak batsmen in the last T20 series) to the cleaners in LPL with couple of 4s and 6 off his over. Looks like a pretty decent player of spin.
 
Has so much talent, just plays the wrong shot too often. He's good enough to NOT pre-meditate. 25* off 13 balls, he could have seen it through till 15th over. Taken singles and doubles, hit the bad ball. Could have easily got a 80* off 50.
 
I don't get why people are even mentioning him as international standard at the moment.

I've seen nothing which suggests to me that he should be playing for Pakistan at the moment.
 
Saj said:
I don't get why people are even mentioning him as international standard at the moment.

I've seen nothing which suggests to me that he should be playing for Pakistan at the moment.
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Its the hope that we find someone that can hit the ball over the boundary , which he can.
 
Saj said:
I don't get why people are even mentioning him as international standard at the moment.

I've seen nothing which suggests to me that he should be playing for Pakistan at the moment.
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He is considerably talented, and in this department he stands out from the rest.
Now all he needs is hard work and focus.

Also, needs to play longer format cricket for the overall growth in his game. This hit and giggle stuff will not do much for him to be honest.
 
Saj said:
I don't get why people are even mentioning him as international standard at the moment.

I've seen nothing which suggests to me that he should be playing for Pakistan at the moment.
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Jazbati qome.
 
Saj said:
I don't get why people are even mentioning him as international standard at the moment.

I've seen nothing which suggests to me that he should be playing for Pakistan at the moment.
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There are far more players than him that deserve a go. We already have Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khushdil Shah, Hafeez, Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim, where exactly does he fit in other than a pair of 42 inch pants?
 
At least in my book, I would only consider him as a wicket keeper for T20 cricket. He is most at ease hitting down the order from ball one, followed by Zeeshan Ashraf followed by Rohail Nazir, and then distantly Sarfaraz, with Rizwan a close second.

Do we have any other destructive keepers in this country?
 
Saurav said:
But what's the issue if they are athletic.Azam took a blinder the other day

Many slim players are horrible fielders/runners too
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He will gas out in international cricket where the pressure is constant. Fitness is extremely important now and he simply isnt fit. Whether it is genetic for him or not doesnt matter. He should consider it a disability if he cant lose weight despite all his efforts.
 
Saj said:
I don't get why people are even mentioning him as international standard at the moment.

I've seen nothing which suggests to me that he should be playing for Pakistan at the moment.
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The lack of options in T20's for Pakistan.
A number 6 who can make even 20's in 12 balls is the need of the hour for our T20I team.
 
Strange that he's keeping wicket when Walton is in the team.

Are they trying to hide him in the field.
 
Saj said:
Strange that he's keeping wicket when Walton is in the team.

Are they trying to hide him in the field.
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You have to consider that he is a keeper first, and the owners, who are Pakistani want him to develop his primary skill in a supposedly high profile competition, which doesn't get much exposure due to Sarfaraz always being there.
It seems like you dont like him, but he is not a bad fielder. He may be overweight, but he is agile.
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
You have to consider that he is a keeper first, and the owners, who are Pakistani want him to develop his primary skill in a supposedly high profile competition, which doesn't get much exposure due to Sarfaraz always being there.
It seems like you dont like him, but he is not a bad fielder. He may be overweight, but he is agile.
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He's a part time wicket-keeper. Yet there's a proper keeper in the team who isn't keeping wicket. Which to me is a bit weird.

Oh, and any sort of criticism from anyone on here, doesn't mean they don't like that player. Hope that's clear.
 
Saj said:
He's a part time wicket-keeper. Yet there's a proper keeper in the team who isn't keeping wicket. Which to me is a bit weird.

Oh, and any sort of criticism from anyone on here, doesn't mean they don't like that player. Hope that's clear.
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He takes wicket keeping as a primary skill. Atleast that is what he used to tell me when we trained at the same gym, 6 months ago.
 
He isnt your typical Pakistani 'modern' batsman at least.
 
Playing quite great today. Really these 20-30 runs off 12 balls are honestly all we need from our T20 keeper.
 
Quick running between the wickets, even the commentators were praising it - it’s one of the reasons I resist comparisons with the likes of Sharjeel Khan who just yesterday got out because he was panting down the track to get to the crease.

If he can run, he can clear the boundary with ease, and he can field/keep to a decently good level, I think he’s good enough. Just want to see him converting these starts to 50s so he comes into contention for the national team quickly.
 
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Impressive knock. Did his part, unfortunately just couldnt finish it. 55 off 24 in the middle overs is a good momentum for any team.
 
He is the best option for T20 cricket.
Send him to HPC to work on his fitness and keeping skills for sixth month. Likes of Rizwan and Sarfraz are a waste of spot in this format.
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
Quick running between the wickets, even the commentators were praising it - it’s one of the reasons I resist comparisons with the likes of Sharjeel Khan who just yesterday got out because he was panting down the track to get to the crease.

If he can run, he can clear the boundary with ease, and he can field/keep to a decently good level, I think he’s good enough. Just want to see him converting these starts to 50s so he comes into contention for the national team quickly.
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I dont want things to come easily for him.
He has world class batting ability and i want him to maximise that.
This is why i want him to play 2 years of first class cricket before getting selected for Pakistan.
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
I dont want things to come easily for him.
He has world class batting ability and i want him to maximise that.
This is why i want him to play 2 years of first class cricket before getting selected for Pakistan.
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Stick with Sarfraz and Rizwan for two years?
 
Impressive innings. Was dropped on around 43 or so, yet it was a innings filled with great shots. He didn't try to over hit the ball, kept his balance and played some powerful grounded shots also. Not a one dimensional player like some our players are.
 
He is the wk/batsman for T20's.
He should have played all 3 T20I's vs Zimbabwe but incompetent Misbah will never do it.
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
I dont want things to come easily for him.
He has world class batting ability and i want him to maximise that.
This is why i want him to play 2 years of first class cricket before getting selected for Pakistan.
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But we need him desperately for the WT20 in India. He will murder spinners from all over the world!
 
shah_1 said:
Stick with Sarfraz and Rizwan for two years?
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I would be willing to sacrifice short term gain for long term results.
Our cricket has been mediocre because our fans and our selectors dont have patience and have very low standards. Any bright sparkling talent that shows up is immediately inducted into the team.

What we get is undercooked players who are learning on the job.
This also makes too many of these talented youngsters complacent and they dont have the fire and urge to improve because they have already earned the international badge.

This fast tracking was actually needed a few years ago because the domestic cricket standards were poor.
However, I feel now with the the quality of domestic competition improving exponentially, we need to trust it and let all these precaucious talents battle it out there.
It doesnt just take good cricket skills to be an elite cricketer.
There is so many other life skills that are needed to get to that level and most of these players will benefit a lot from from the grind of domestic cricket.
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
I would be willing to sacrifice short term gain for long term results.
Our cricket has been mediocre because our fans and our selectors dont have patience and have very low standards. Any bright sparkling talent that shows up is immediately inducted into the team.

What we get is undercooked players who are learning on the job.
This also makes too many of these talented youngsters complacent and they dont have the fire and urge to improve because they have already earned the international badge.

This fast tracking was actually needed a few years ago because the domestic cricket standards were poor.
However, I feel now with the the quality of domestic competition improving exponentially, we need to trust it and let all these precaucious talents battle it out there.
It doesnt just take good cricket skills to be an elite cricketer.
There is so many other life skills that are needed to get to that level and most of these players will benefit a lot from from the grind of domestic cricket.
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What should be the way going forward :
Rizwan for tests
Azam for T20I's and rest of time Azam should play first class cricket.
If he turns to be any good in T20I's and first class you can also select him for ODI's.
 
You make good points [MENTION=152972]Pacy with wisdom[/MENTION] and yes, ideally he’d be playing first class cricket, but I don’t think that’s happening anyways. It seems as if Basit Ali at Sindh is more than happy to bench him in favor of Sarfaraz and now someone like Shezar Mohammad - if we wait another two years, I have a nagging feeling he’ll have the exact same number of first class matches to his record.
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
I would be willing to sacrifice short term gain for long term results.
Our cricket has been mediocre because our fans and our selectors dont have patience and have very low standards. Any bright sparkling talent that shows up is immediately inducted into the team.

What we get is undercooked players who are learning on the job.
This also makes too many of these talented youngsters complacent and they dont have the fire and urge to improve because they have already earned the international badge.

This fast tracking was actually needed a few years ago because the domestic cricket standards were poor.
However, I feel now with the the quality of domestic competition improving exponentially, we need to trust it and let all these precaucious talents battle it out there.
It doesnt just take good cricket skills to be an elite cricketer.
There is so many other life skills that are needed to get to that level and most of these players will benefit a lot from from the grind of domestic cricket.
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Sorry but we don't want to see Rizwan and Sarfraz in the T20 team for too long.
 
I personally really like the look of Azam. I understand that people have reservations over his fitness, which are justified. But I think he will come good in the long run. He is the kind of player that we should invest in. I would like to see him play an entire FC season. He has all the shots and the best thing is that he doesn't slog. His natural power is enough to clear the field.
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
You make good points [MENTION=152972]Pacy with wisdom[/MENTION] and yes, ideally he’d be playing first class cricket, but I don’t think that’s happening anyways. It seems as if Basit Ali at Sindh is more than happy to bench him in favor of Sarfaraz and now someone like Shezar Mohammad - if we wait another two years, I have a nagging feeling he’ll have the exact same number of first class matches to his record.
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This is where the NHPC comes in and they need to evaluate him as a potential high priority Pakistan pick.
He can very easily be moved to another region that lacks a promising wicket keeper batsman.
This will definitely bring criticism and people will call him being adjusted because of his dad.

However i am sure that will soon be forgotten once he starts performing which he should given his ability.
In the past, we have seen how an ATG like Gilchrist had to move from NSW to WA because he didnt get opportunities there.
Azam's case is similar.
 
He's a very good talent, and if he does further work on his fitness, he should take over as our LOI keeper in a year or 2.
 
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If he keeps working at his game and fitness he has a real shot at WC 2021. He's exactly the sort of modern T20 player we've needed in the side for a while now.
 
Mobashir said:
What should be the way going forward :
Rizwan for tests
Azam for T20I's and rest of time Azam should play first class cricket.
If he turns to be any good in T20I's and first class you can also select him for ODI's.
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Look, you guys are getting excited looking at him and it is understandable. But this is still not even an ounce of what he is capable of. I really want him to find that.
Right now, he has the following issues;

1) His fitness needs improvement, in the way that while he is naturally agile, he is still carrying extra weight. This can only come down with more off season work, so once again a long term thing.

2) His defensive technique is still not good enough and he gets squared up easily. This will only improve if he plays a good amount of long format cricket, which he isnt doing at the moment.

3) His shot selection and innings building skills are still a work in progress. He is a smart guy, let me tell you that and has very good composure under pressure.
However, this game awareness only comes with time, and it has only been a year since he has had exposure to high profile cricket.

For the moment, we can make do with other options in the middle order and use rizwan as a specialist wicket keeper, coming later down the order.
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
This is where the NHPC comes in and they need to evaluate him as a potential high priority Pakistan pick.
He can very easily be moved to another region that lacks a promising wicket keeper batsman.
This will definitely bring criticism and people will call him being adjusted because of his dad.

However i am sure that will soon be forgotten once he starts performing which he should given his ability.
In the past, we have seen how an ATG like Gilchrist had to move from NSW to WA because he didnt get opportunities there.
Azam's case is similar.
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He should have been playing in the match against Central Punjab in Karachi instead of being in Sri Lanka.

Let's say, even if he keeps in the entire LPL, that would mean 200 overs of keeping which is almost equal to 7 sessions of a four-day match. With Sarfaraz being on national duty, this was the perfect opportunity for him to be groomed, yet he's playing a league that doesn't even offer life-changing financial benefits.

Disappointed isn't the word that covers the scale of feeling that I am having right now. Such short-sightedness in terms of goals needs to end pronto.
 
GoUgandaCranes said:
He should have been playing in the match against Central Punjab in Karachi instead of being in Sri Lanka.

Let's say, even if he keeps in the entire LPL, that would mean 200 overs of keeping which is almost equal to 7 sessions of a four-day match. With Sarfaraz being on national duty, this was the perfect opportunity for him to be groomed, yet he's playing a league that doesn't even offer life-changing financial benefits.

Disappointed isn't the word that covers the scale of feeling that I am having right now. Such short-sightedness in terms of goals needs to end pronto.
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His dad is to blame for it. He is there cheering him on in the dugout, when he really needs to tell him to go back and play first class cricket.
 
GoUgandaCranes said:
He should have been playing in the match against Central Punjab in Karachi instead of being in Sri Lanka.

Let's say, even if he keeps in the entire LPL, that would mean 200 overs of keeping which is almost equal to 7 sessions of a four-day match. With Sarfaraz being on national duty, this was the perfect opportunity for him to be groomed, yet he's playing a league that doesn't even offer life-changing financial benefits.

Disappointed isn't the word that covers the scale of feeling that I am having right now. Such short-sightedness in terms of goals needs to end pronto.
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Playing for pakistan is a thankless job , a couple of failures and you are out especially if you are young. He probably has his priority set on playing leagues around the world for next 15 years. There are like 3 4 leagues he can play every years and earn a good living.
 
Development plan:

Best for him is to do a few A tours. Get out of Pakistan and play on all sort of surfaces. Even some division 2/Club games in England or Australia will help him.

Then he can be eased into the team with an odd T20 game here and there at home or in easy conditions. See what he can do.

But no way should the plan be prolonged. That's not the Pakistan way.
 
GoUgandaCranes said:
He should have been playing in the match against Central Punjab in Karachi instead of being in Sri Lanka.

Let's say, even if he keeps in the entire LPL, that would mean 200 overs of keeping which is almost equal to 7 sessions of a four-day match. With Sarfaraz being on national duty, this was the perfect opportunity for him to be groomed, yet he's playing a league that doesn't even offer life-changing financial benefits.

Disappointed isn't the word that covers the scale of feeling that I am having right now. Such short-sightedness in terms of goals needs to end pronto.
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I think in his case, it will help him. He just needs to play lots of league and develop his game for the shorter formats.This league is good for his development
 
Lets be honest. Neither rizwan nor sarfaraz has the abilitu to score a 20 ball 50.
Its upto azam to learn how to build an innings and make the most of his considerable bowl striking ability.
 
Bewal Express said:
I think in his case, it will help him. He just needs to play lots of league and develop his game for the shorter formats.This league is good for his development
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Game has changed a lot. League cricket is a great learning experince. Andre Russell is a superstar and he hardly plays FC cricket.
 
shah_1 said:
Game has changed a lot. League cricket is a great learning experince. Andre Russell is a superstar and he hardly plays FC cricket.
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He maybe a superstar, but is hardly of any value to West Indies cricket.
We dont want this mercenary culture to become rampant among the younger players of Pakistan.

It is understandable if the washed up oldies go for them, but not the guys who's game is still in its infancy and need first class cricket to improve their basics.
 
Bewal Express said:
I think in his case, it will help him. He just needs to play lots of league and develop his game for the shorter formats.This league is good for his development
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Hitting big comes naturally to him. What he needs is first class cricket so that his defensive game and fitness can become good enough for ODI cricket.
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
Hitting big comes naturally to him. What he needs is first class cricket so that his defensive game and fitness can become good enough for ODI cricket.
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He will bat a maximum of 20-25 balls in each innings, so defense is not really an issue in T20. It would be if he played ODI cricket but at this point in his career, that looks unlikely.
 
Bewal Express said:
He will bat a maximum of 20-25 balls in each innings, so defense is not really an issue in T20. It would be if he played ODI cricket but at this point in his career, that looks unlikely.
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Why does it look unlikely?
Is he 30 plus?
The guy is young, and has just started playing professional cricket and you are already pigeon holing him, just because he can hit sixes.

This is why i wrote in that earlier post, that our fans are myopic and have very little far-sight.

This guy has all the ability in the world and should be gunning to be one of the best LOI batsmen in the world, and not just a t20 hack.
 
Honestly I think he's the only option for 2021 WC. Neither Rizwan nor Sarfraz are good enough for T20s. He needs to put in a lot of hard work, there's still 10 months before the tournament begins, he should be able to lose a lot of weight and work on his keeping.
 
ppl talking abt development plans, he gonna be first choice keeper for quetta in psl next year. if he does well in psl, i.e. no howlers behind the stumps, and 25 ave, 150 s.r, hes gonna get selected for pak.

as far as first class cricket goes, no chance, pretty sure he has no interest in long form cricket, esp with rizwan looking like a lock for the next few years.
 
ElRaja said:
ppl talking abt development plans, he gonna be first choice keeper for quetta in psl next year. if he does well in psl, i.e. no howlers behind the stumps, and 25 ave, 150 s.r, hes gonna get selected for pak.

as far as first class cricket goes, no chance, pretty sure he has no interest in long form cricket, esp with rizwan looking like a lock for the next few years.
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How will he be first choice keeper over Sarfaraz?
 
he should be the first choice wicket keeper of Pakistan for T20 WC 2021 in India. The guy is a natural hitter of the ball especially against spinners. He can Sixes effortlessly
He can bat at No 5 or 6 for Pakistan and can provide the impetus to the inning in the middle overs. He can hit the ball like Pollard. Pakistan have very limited stocks of T20 wicket keeper. Rizwan is a misfit in T20. Sarfraz is little better than Rizwan as far as batting is considered but not ideal for T20. Others don't have the power either. The only option left is Azam khan. He is head and shoulder From rest of the keepers. Playing 11 for T20 WC Should be
1. Babar
2. Haider
3. Abdullah
4. Hafeez
5.Azam Khan
6.khusdil shah
7. Imad
8. Wahab
9. Usman Qadir
10.Shaheen
11. Rouf
 
Pacy with wisdom said:
Why does it look unlikely?
Is he 30 plus?
The guy is young, and has just started playing professional cricket and you are already pigeon holing him, just because he can hit sixes.

This is why i wrote in that earlier post, that our fans are myopic and have very little far-sight.

This guy has all the ability in the world and should be gunning to be one of the best LOI batsmen in the world, and not just a t20 hack.
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I dont think he has the desire to play any cricket other than T20. I hope you a right as he has the hitting talent to challenge the ODI team but to that, he has to work on endurance for 100 overs in a day.
 
saabir said:
he should be the first choice wicket keeper of Pakistan for T20 WC 2021 in India. The guy is a natural hitter of the ball especially against spinners. He can Sixes effortlessly
He can bat at No 5 or 6 for Pakistan and can provide the impetus to the inning in the middle overs. He can hit the ball like Pollard. Pakistan have very limited stocks of T20 wicket keeper. Rizwan is a misfit in T20. Sarfraz is little better than Rizwan as far as batting is considered but not ideal for T20. Others don't have the power either. The only option left is Azam khan. He is head and shoulder From rest of the keepers. Playing 11 for T20 WC Should be
1. Babar
2. Haider
3. Abdullah
4. Hafeez
5.Azam Khan
6.khusdil shah
7. Imad
8. Wahab
9. Usman Qadir
10.Shaheen
11. Rouf
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I will take Shadab over Usman and hopefully, we can develop a good pacer instead of Rauf. Maybe Hasnain, if he improves his economy rate or Naseem. Waqas Maqsood is a wild card pick that I feel can be very useful.
 
He gives so much balance.

An option could be:

1. Haider Ali
2. Babar Azam
3. Shadab
4. Hafeez
5. Khushdil
6. Azam Khan
7. Iftikhar
8. Imad Wasim
9. Wahab Riaz
10. Amir / Rauf / one of the other guys
11. Shaheen
 
Serious question - how high do people rate his keeping? In a hypothetical scenario, would you rather make Imam ul Haq a part time keeper in ODI cricket or give Azam Khan the gloves?
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
Serious question - how high do people rate his keeping? In a hypothetical scenario, would you rather make Imam ul Haq a part time keeper in ODI cricket or give Azam Khan the gloves?
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He is fine as a keeper
 
Needs to lose 50 more pounds before we pick him for Pakistan, but I really like the progress he is making. Way to go!
 
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