Azam opens up on ‘professional rivalry’ with Asif, Iftikhar

Islamabad United wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan believes that it will be tough to make a comeback in the Pakistan national side in the presence of Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed.

Azam has played three T20Is for Pakistan, however he only faced seven balls and is yet to make his mark in international cricket.

“I had a very good experience with the Pakistan side. The charm of representing Pakistan is such that no T20 league can match it. Once you're representing your country, 220 million people in Pakistan have their eyes on you. Their hopes are pinned on you. Playing international cricket was a huge confidence booster because it made me realise I could play for Pakistan. That made me feel very happy,” said Azam while speaking in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.

“There's a lot of tough competition in my role, the way Asif [Ali] bhai is performing these days in T20 cricket, and Iftikhar [Ahmed] bhai who's enjoyed a comeback into the national side because of his supreme form in the National T20. There should be healthy competition and a professional rivalry, where you watch someone score runs and want to score more than them. That professional rivalry comes in handy for the side. In the end, you're playing for Pakistan, and when you're in the ground, you're one unit,” he added.

Azam has scored 103 runs in five matches of the ongoing HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) at an impressive strike-rate of 156.06.