Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Babar Azam, has come under fire for reportedly fat-shaming his colleague, Azam Khan, during the team’s practice ahead of their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against co-hosts the United States at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday.
Azam Khan has faced criticism for his poor performance in the just concluded T20I series against England. The teenage wicketkeeper-batsman has frequently been fat-shamed for his physical appearance. Despite being unfit, Azam Khan was named to the playing XI for the T20I series against England.
Furthermore, Azam Khan has been linked to nepotism because he is the son of former Pakistan captain Moin Khan. His dismal wicket-keeping and batting performances in the recent T20 series against England earned him harsh criticism from Pakistani fans and retired players.
“Genda”- Babar Azam gives Azam Khan a new nickname
Meanwhile, in a new video surfacing on social media, skipper Babar Azam mocked Azam Khan’s fitness by calling him ‘Genda’ (rhinoceros). The youngster didn’t respond much to his captain’s comment, but his teammates laughed at him. This video was of the Pakistan team’s training session.
Babar Azam’s words on Azam Khan drew criticism from fans, who saw him as unprofessional despite being Pakistan’s captain. Others said that Babar Azam did not fat-shame the young wicketkeeper-batter, but he used the Punjabi slang term ‘Kenda’ for making a mistake.
Now Azam khan got nick name “GENDA” from Babar Azam 😭😂#BabarAzam
pic.twitter.com/NUPMc3fgUO— Sami Ullah (@Sami_ullah_1234) June 3, 2024
This is disgusting, below the belt and outright shambolic. Babar Azam saying that "ay gainda nai siddha hoya" to Azam Khan in practice is an exhibit of everything which is wrong with our society and our team both. As captain you can't be using such words.pic.twitter.com/h5G0sJHJ37
— Abdullah (@abdullahhammad4) June 3, 2024
Pakistani fans were divided on how to take Babar Azam’s disparaging remarks toward teammate Azam Khan.
Azam Khan’s inclusion in the Pakistan T20 World Cup squad has been questioned by fans and analysts alike due to his fitness and uneven results in the shortest format.
Since his T20I debut against England in July 2021, the 24-year-old has struggled to make an impact in international cricket. Azam struggled to perform at his best in the just concluded T20I series against England.
In nine T20Is, the 25-year-old has scored 88 runs at an average of 9.77 and a strike rate of 135.38. Azam Khan will be scrutinized by the media and experts when Pakistan faces co-hosts the United States in their opening T20 World Cup encounter in Texas.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam Recalls Semi-final Defeat Against Australia In 2022