Azam Khan left idle in net practice ahead of Pakistan vs India match

On Jun 9, 2024

Azam Khan walks back to the pavilion having lost his wicket without scoring during the fourth T20 international cricket match between England and Pakistan at The Oval, in London on May 30, 2024. — AFP

NEW YORK: Azam Khan, under fire for an underwhelming performance, faced exclusion from batting practice during the team’s net session in preparation for their upcoming match against rivals India.

Sources told Geo News that the 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter was left isolated while the rest of the team honed their skills.

Azam did not receive any batting practice, indicating a potential lack of confidence from Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam and coach Gary Kirsten in the young player, according to sources.

This comes after fans expressed frustration over Azam’s inlcusion in the squad after a disappointing loss to United States earlier this week, adding further pressure on the beleaguered cricketer.

He was also trolled by netizens after which Imam Ul Haq defended Azam by saying that a cricketer is unable to perform well in the matches because of the trolling on social media.

Meanwhile, Azam has either deleted all his posts on his Instagram account or archived them for some reason, prompting speculations that he resorted to the move after receiving criticism from the fans over his fitness and selection in the T20 World Cup squad.

The son of legendary wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan has consistently faced criticism over his physical fitness despite his success in T20 league tournaments in Pakistan and abroad.

Since his international debut three years ago in July 2018, Azam has struggled to make an impact in T20Is for Pakistan, having scored only 88 runs in 13 innings.