Who is Pakistan’s Azan Awais? Sialkot talent spotted by his mother shines on Test debut

Pakistan may have found another long format gem in Azan Awais. Or is it too early to tell? Maybe. After all, this is just his debut. But the left handed opener from Sialkot certainly gave a glimpse of his potential with a calm and mature unbeaten 85 against Bangladesh in Dhaka, helping Pakistan recover strongly after an early setback.

By stumps on Day 2 of the first Test at the Sher e Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Pakistan had reached 179 for 1 in 46 overs, still trailing Bangladesh by 234 runs. But much of the attention was on the 21-year-old debutant wearing Pakistan’s Test cap No. 261.

What stood out was not just the runs, but the way he handled pressure.

Early in his innings, Bangladesh speedster Nahid Rana struck him on the helmet with a sharp short ball. Many debutants would have gone into their shell after that moment. Azan reacted differently. He stayed composed, trusted his technique, and later counter attacked Rana with three consecutive boundaries that eventually forced the pacer out of the attack.

That calmness has been part of his journey for years.

Azan’s cricket story started in Sialkot, where his mother first noticed his obsession with batting. As a child, he would spend hours alone with a plastic bat, repeatedly hitting a ball against the wall and reacting to the rebounds. His father and uncle quickly recognised the talent and became his first coaches. Along with his younger brother, they created intense practice sessions at home to sharpen his game.

Pakistan fans first truly took notice of him during the 2023 Under 19 Asia Cup. In a pressure filled clash against India, Azan produced one of the standout innings of the tournament, smashing an unbeaten 105 while anchoring Pakistan’s chase with remarkable maturity for his age.

His rise in domestic cricket was equally impressive.

Azan finished the 2024 to 25 Quaid e Azam Trophy as the leading run scorer with 844 runs at an average of 76.7. During that season, he also produced a marathon unbeaten 203 that helped Sialkot win the title. Even before his international debut, he had already built a reputation as a batter capable of batting for long hours.

Before getting his Pakistan call up, the opener had already scored 10 first class centuries in just 33 matches while maintaining an average above 48.

He also represented Pakistan at the 2024 Under 19 World Cup and continued to impress in age group cricket with his temperament and ability to handle pressure situations.

Pakistan cricket has often searched for reliable Test openers in recent years. If Azan Awais continues this way, they may finally have found one who combines patience, temperament and fearlessness in equal measure. But it's way too early to make any judgement.