Former Pakistan opener Ahmad Shahzad addressed the criticism faced by Pakistani wicket-keeper Azam Khan over his poor performance and lack of physical fitness, asserting that while it is fair to critique a player’s performance, body shaming should be avoided.
This statement follows ongoing criticism of Azam, son of legendary wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan, who has been scrutinized for his physical fitness and lackluster performance in recent T20 series against England and Ireland, as well as in the World Cup match against the United States.
Commenting on Pakistan’s first two losses in the ongoing World Cup, Shahzad emphasized that the responsibility lies with the entire team, not just an individual player. Consequently, Azam was dropped from the playing XI in the matches against India and Canada after being featured in back-to-back games. In Pakistan’s opening match of the tournament against the United States, Azam was dismissed for a duck.
Last week, batsman Imam Ul Haq came to Azam’s defense amid social media trolling, highlighting the negative impact such criticism can have on a player’s performance. Imam pointed out that online attacks can demoralize cricketers, affecting their on-field performance.
Since his international debut in July 2018, Azam has struggled to make a significant impact in T20Is for Pakistan, scoring only 88 runs in at least 14 innings. Both his performance and physical fitness have been focal points of severe criticism for the 25-year-old player.
