Who Is Azan Awais? Pakistan’s Rising Star Making Test Debut

A New Chapter for Pakistan Cricket

The commencement of the two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh at the Sher-E-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur has brought more than just the excitement of international red-ball cricket. With the visitors opting to bowl first after winning the toss, the spotlight shifted immediately to the team sheet, which featured two fresh faces in the batting order. Among these debutants is the 21-year-old left-handed opener, Azan Awais, a player whose meteoric rise through the domestic ranks has been nothing short of remarkable.

Who is Azan Awais?

Azan Awais, now holding Pakistan Test cap number 261, was born in 2004 and hails from the Sialkot region. His journey into the national setup was not an overnight success but a product of sustained excellence in the domestic red-ball circuit. After making his First-Class debut at the age of 19 against FATA in 2024, where he immediately impressed with a gritty half-century, Awais began a period of dominance that would eventually force the national selectors’ hands.

Domestic Dominance and Statistics

The statistics behind Awais’s selection are undeniably compelling. During his debut season in the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy (2024/25), he cemented his reputation as one of the country’s most reliable top-order batters. He finished as the leading run-scorer in the competition, accumulating 844 runs across 13 innings. His performance was highlighted by four centuries and two fifties, including a magnificent unbeaten 203 that helped steer the Sialkot region to a tournament victory.

He did not stop there. In the following 2025/26 season, he added another 803 runs in 10 matches, maintaining an impressive average of 50.18. This season saw him record three centuries and three fifties, once again guiding Sialkot to the tournament final. Even before his transition to senior cricket, Awais showed his caliber at the youth level, scoring 149 runs in 4 Youth Test innings, including a match-winning 104 off 221 balls against Sri Lanka U19 in 2023.

Across his 33-game First-Class career, the young batter has scored 2,673 runs in 59 innings at a stellar average of 48.60. With 10 centuries and 9 fifties to his name, he has demonstrated an exceptional ability to convert starts into big scores—a trait highly valued in the longest format of the game.

The Selection Controversy Surrounding Babar Azam

The introduction of fresh talent like Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal into the XI came alongside a significant talking point: the absence of Babar Azam. Despite leading the run-scoring charts in the recent PSL season where his side, Peshawar Zalmi, emerged as champions, Babar was excluded from the playing XI for this opening Test. Captain Shan Masood attributed the decision to a nursing injury, yet conflicting reports have fueled speculation regarding whether this was a strategic selection choice.

Babar Azam has been seeking to break a long-standing drought, as he has not scored a Test century since December 2022 against New Zealand. With his exclusion, the team structure has shifted, with Awais and Fazal expected to shoulder the responsibility at the top of the order, potentially allowing Shan Masood to drop down to the number four position.

Eyeing Redemption

This series carries significant weight for Pakistan. In 2024, Bangladesh visited Pakistan and delivered a stunning 2-0 series whitewash, a result that left the home side reeling. For the current squad under Shan Masood, this tour represents a golden opportunity to settle the score and prove their capabilities on challenging foreign soil. As the team looks to balance its transition toward younger talent like Azan Awais with the pressure of international performance, the outcome of this series will be a crucial indicator of the direction of Pakistan’s Test cricket program.