Rawalpindi, April 20
Pakistan wicket keeper batter Azam Khan has been ruled out of the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand after picking up a grade one tear in his right calf muscle
In a statement released on Saturday, the Pakistan Cricket Board said, "Azam Khan has been advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle. Consequently, Azam will be unable to participate in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, which culminates in Lahore on April 27." Azam will leave the national cricket team and will report to the National Cricket Academy, where he will commence his rehabilitation process under the supervision of the PCB medical panel. The discomfort in Azam's right calf was first noticed during batting practice in the pre-first T20I training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. However, with a meagre average of 7.83 in just eight T20 Internationals, Azam Khan's overall T20 record is remarkable, with 3,183 runs at a strike rate of 147.56 in 160 matches. In the latest PSL, for example, although Azam got just 226 runs in ten innings for Islamabad United, they came at a high strike rate of 171. United won the tournament. That reputation, plus a good showing at the last edition of the CPL - where he scored 224 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 155.55 for champions Guyana Amazon Warriors - have put him in contention for a spot in Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup, which will be played in June in the Caribbean and the USA.