Chris Gayle praised my power-hitting; Dale Steyn promised to go fishing with me: Azam Khan
Azam Khan is the poster boy of Pakistan cricket right now after having been called up to the T20I side for the upcoming tour of England and the West Indies. The young power-hitter recently opened up about his bond with international stars like Chris Gayle and Dale Steyn.
The 22-year-old has been part of the Quetta Gladiators for several years now and recently had the privilege of playing alongside established T20 stars like Chris Gayle and Dale Steyn during the 2021 Pakistan Super League.
Azam Khan spoke about his bond with Gayle during an interview with Cricwick, sharing how the Universe Boss praised his power-hitting.
“It is ideal to gain experience from players like him (Chris Gayle). I especially like interacting with international players because you get an idea of the effort they have put in to make it to the big stage. Chris Gayle praised my power-hitting and advised me to keep working hard,” Khan revealed.
The youngster is currently in Abu Dhabi preparing for PSL 2021, where he will continue his stint with the Quetta Gladiators. Soon after his T20 call-up, Azam Khan praised Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar for supporting him from an early age. He also revealed how the PSL franchise owner compared him to the swashbuckling West Indian a few years ago.
“I really enjoyed sharing the dressing room with Chris Gayle and it was a great feeling. He is the biggest legend in T20 cricket. Funnily enough, Nadeem Omar (Quetta Gladiators owner) compared me to Chris Gayle a couple of years ago,” Khan shared.
Friendship with Dale Steyn is really good: Azam Khan
Chris Gayle is not the only T20 legend who has a close relationship with Azam Khan, who shares a great bond with South African speedster Dale Steyn as well.
“My friendship with Dale Steyn is really good, I thoroughly enjoy talking to him. We share the same hobbies, like music and fishing. I have been following Dale Steyn since childhood and was always fascinated by him. I also told him how he can do fishing in Pakistan too, and he promised to go with me whenever he comes to the country next,” Khan concluded.
Azam Khan has played 36 T20s across his career, scoring 743 runs at an impressive strike rate of 157.41. He will look to notch up similar figures during PSL 2021, before targeting a debut with Pakistan later this year.