Azam Khan is an interesting character in Pakistan cricket. Being the son of former Pakistan player Moin Khan meant that the spotlight was always on him. He got opportunities too. Between 2021 and 2024, Azam played 14 T20Is without scoring a single half-century. The wicketkeeper’s fielding skills were also subpar, and his poor fitness was widely criticised. A string of poor performances meant that Azam did not get a chance in the national team after the 2024 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-final stage.
In a recent interview, Azam Khan bravely came to terms with his struggles. He singled out a match against England in 2024, where his performance was particularly disappointing.
“Mark Wood He hit the first bouncer at me. I left it. I was like, ha theek hai. The meaning is correct. We also have 150 bowlers here. (Mark Wood bowled the first bouncer. I left it. I thought, okay, we have 150 kph bowlers in Pakistan too),” Azam Khan was heard saying in a video.
“When he bowled the second bouncer, I was like, woah, What do you mean by this? Like my life has come to a halt, brother, what has happened to me?!!!?? (When he bowled the second bouncer, I thought, what just happened to me? My life paused for a moment, and I was stunned).”
“When my finger started hurting, I knew I was out. The Oval crowd started abusing me. There was a Pakistani reporter who asked a drunk Englishman about his favourite Pakistan player. He replied, ‘Azam Khan, he can’t bat, can’t field.’ That broke me. Is this my honor? (Is this my reputation?) I dropped easy catches too. I was in tears. I kept thinking, yeh mere saath kya ho raha hai? (Why is this happening to me?)”
In the match Azam referred to, Pakistan were bowled out for 157 in 19.5 overs, with Azam falling for a duck. England chased down the target in 15.3 overs with seven wickets remaining.
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