Arafat shared that Azam Khan had been hit by the ball on his hand during practice session
02 January, 2024
PHOTO: PCB
Pakistan High-Performance coach Yasir Arafat provided insights into the team's progress, highlighting both promising talents and areas of improvement, following the conclusion of the training camp for the upcoming T20 series against New Zealand in Lahore.
While talking to media on Tuesday in Lahore, Arafat shared that right-handed batter Azam Khan had been hit by the ball on his hand during practice session. However, Arafat reassured that Azam is in good health and will be returning for another round of batting.
"Azam has been hit with the ball, but he is perfectly fine. He will come back for another batting round. There is no serious injury; these ups and downs, injuries, and niggles are a part of the game, but there is no major issue," said Arafat.
Arafat expressed his excitement about Haseebullah, describing him as an exciting cricketer. Moreover, Arafat acknowledged the substantial improvements showed by Sahibzada Farhan, commending the player's dedication and progress.
"Haseebullah is a very exciting cricketer. I have been following him since he played Under-19 two years ago. Apart from him, Sahibzada Farhan has shown significant improvement," he further added.
Commenting on Abbas Afridi, the coach pointed out the player's potential to become a well-rounded all-rounder.
"Abbas Afridi has the potential to become a good all-rounder. I really like his attitude. In the past, we have seen that bowlers tend to focus only on their bowling. It is essential for a bowler to work on their batting as well. I have observed that Abbas, in the nets, is practicing his batting," he concluded.
Pakistan squad: Shaheen Afridi (c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
Pakistan tour of New Zealand:
January 12: New Zealand vs Pakistan – First T20I in Auckland
January 14: New Zealand vs Pakistan – Second T20I in Hamilton
January 17: New Zealand vs Pakistan – Third T20I in Dunedin
January 19: New Zealand vs Pakistan – Fourth T20I in Christchurch
January 21: New Zealand vs Pakistan – Fifth T20I in Christchurch
