Azam Khan‘s physical condition has been a major talking point, with former Pakistani cricketers Azhar Ali and Misbah-ul-Haq expressing worry about his weight gain. Despite Azam Khan’s impressive performances for Islamabad United in the PSL, his fitness levels have been a cause for concern, affecting his effectiveness behind the stumps and during running between the wickets.
Despite playing 8 T20Is for Pakistan, Azam has struggled to make an impact, scoring only 29 runs with a highest score of 10. Azam Khan perhaps needs to play his natural game while representing national cricket team rather than getting into the shell. It would be interesting to see whether PCB gives another chance to Azam Khan or not as ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is around the corner.
That is not a good thing to see- Azhar Ali on Azam Khan’s Weight Gain
Speaking on a local sports channel, Azhar Ali noted that Azam’s weight was significantly lower last year. He said,
“While watching, it seems like Azam Khan is not maintaining his weight and gaining more. That is not a good thing to see because I feel if you saw him two years ago, his weight was less,”
Misbah-ul-Haq also shared his perspective on the issue, he said,
“Since after coming back from 2013 he has gained around 130,”
Despite his fitness concerns, Azam Khan has been performing decently in the PSL 2023-24 season for Islamabad United. He has scored 118 runs in 6 matches at an average of 39.33, with an impressive strike rate of 203.33.
An individual is made a scapegoat- Azam Khan
In a recent interview with CricWick, Azam expressed feeling unfairly blamed for Pakistan’s losses, suggesting he has often been made a scapegoat. Despite this, he believes there are few better finishers in Pakistan than himself.
“The team always comes first for me. If it’s a team game and only an individual is made a scapegoat, it makes me a bit angry. I get frustrated sometimes. Yes, I deserve an opportunity. I have made three comebacks into the Pakistan team in the past five years,”
Azam Khan further stated,
“There’s no one close to my batting numbers at the No.5 and No.6 positions in Pakistan. In the last four years, only twelve batters have scored runs at an average of more than 25 and a strike rate in excess of 145 in T20 cricket,”
Indeed, strong performances in upcoming matches could boost Azam Khan’s chances of securing a spot in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad this year.
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