Azam Khan has always been an intriguing figure in Pakistan cricket. As the son of former Pakistan captain Moin Khan, he has grown up under immense scrutiny, with the spotlight never too far away. Despite the early opportunities that came his way, Azam’s international career never quite took off. Between 2021 and 2024, he featured in 14 T20Is without a single half-century, while his fitness and wicket-keeping came under heavy criticism.
His struggles continued during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals. Since then, Azam has been out of the national setup. Reflecting on one particularly tough moment in England, Azam revealed how he was deeply hurt by the abuse he received from fans. “When my finger started hurting, I knew I was out. The Oval crowd started abusing me. A Pakistani reporter asked a drunk Englishman about his favourite Pakistan player, and he replied, ‘Azam Khan, he can’t bat, can’t field.’ That broke me. Kya yeh izzat hai meri? (Is this my reputation?) I dropped easy catches too. I was in tears, thinking, yeh mere saath kya ho raha hai? (Why is this happening to me?),” he said.
In that match, Pakistan were bowled out for 157 in 19.5 overs, with Azam dismissed for a duck. England comfortably chased down the target in 15.3 overs, losing just three wickets, sealing a seven-wicket victory. The game became a low point for Azam, who has since spoken about the emotional toll of criticism and the challenges of living up to his father’s legacy.
