‘Ramiz Raja let him down’: Moin Khan claims former PCB chairman gave unfair treatment to his son Azam Khan

Moin Khan has taken a dig at former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja. In a recent interview, Moin claimed that his son Azam was not treated properly during his stint in the Pakistan senior team.

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Azam was initially selected for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia but was dropped from the squad days after the squad was selected.

Speaking about the “demoralising” incident, Moin told Cricket Pakistan: “In the 2022 World Cup, Azam was also selected in the squad but Ramiz Raja left him out. Back then, if the chief selector had made a wrong selection, he should have been removed from the squad but they didn’t have the courage and as a result, they demoralised a young player.”

Azam’s stint with the Pakistan team has been far from memorable. After a few difficult years at the senior level, Azam finally got his big moment at the 2024 World Cup co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States.

He made his World Cup debut against the United States on June 6, but a shock upset led to the wicketkeeper being ruled out of Pakistan’s remaining matches.

On the unfair treatment meted out by the board, Moin said: “I watched the entire World Cup (in 2024) and the games leading up to it, and it seemed like Azam was the number one choice for wicketkeeper and batsman. Then suddenly, after just one game, the whole strategy changed.”

Moin then pointed out that Azam has not been given enough opportunities to prove himself behind the stumps in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

“Azam was unlucky to keep his wickets after one game and was bowled out after being run out on the first ball. Whether it is the captain or the management, if they make such quick changes in players, how can we produce good players?” he said.

Azam has not played for Pakistan since the 2024 T20 World Cup. Having played 14 T20Is so far, Azam has scored 88 runs at a strike rate of 133.33 after making his international debut against England in July 2021.