Atiq-uz-Zaman: “I have witnessed, Azam Khan could not even complete 1 lap of the Gaddafi Stadium”
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Former Pakistan cricketer Atiq-uz-Zaman has blasted wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan for his fitness levels, saying the 25-year-old “could not even complete 1 lap of the Gaddafi Stadium”.
Azam, who is the son of ex-Pakistan captain Moin Khan, has long been criticised for being overweight despite having worked hard on becoming fitter.
His poor batting performances haven’t helped his cause at all as he has mustered 88 runs in 14 T20Is at an average of 8.80 and a strike-rate of 133.33.
In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Azam only featured in the opening match against the United States of America, but was trapped lbw for a golden duck.
Atiq admitted that it’s time for the big-hitting batsman to work on his fitness as Pakistan need players who are in shape and not a liability on the field.
“I have witnessed, Azam Khan could not even complete 1 lap of the Gaddafi Stadium,” he was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Pakistan lost their first two T20 World Cup games against the United States of America and India before rebounding with back-to-back wins over Canada and Ireland.
Despite finishing the group stage with a 2-2 record, the men in green ended up being eliminated.
Pakistan Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
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