Media365
NEW DELHI: Pakistan batter Azam Khan, son of former cricketer Moin Khan, has opened up about the lowest phase of his international career, recalling the struggles he faced during his stint with the national team — especially a forgettable match against England in 2024. Despite featuring in 14 T20Is between 2021 and 2024, Azam failed to register a single half-century and often drew criticism for his fitness and fielding, leading to his exclusion after Pakistan’s disappointing 2024 T20 World Cup campaign.Azam’s time with the national side was marked by inconsistent performances and questions over his wicketkeeping. His last appearance came during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan crashed out before the semi-finals.In a recent video interview, Azam revisited one of his toughest experiences — facing England’s express pacer Mark Wood.“Mark Wood ne mujhe pehla bouncer mara. I left it. I was like, ha theek hai. Matlab sahi hai. Humare yahan bhi 150 wale bowler hain (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, yeh matlab kya ho gaya mere saath? Like meri zindagi ekdum ruk gayi, bhai yeh mere saath kya ho gaya!!!?? (When he bowled the second bouncer, I thought, what just happened to me? My life paused for a moment, and I was stunned).”He also recalled a painful moment at The Oval, where he faced brutal criticism from the crowd.“When my finger started hurting, I knew I was out. Oval ka crowd gaaliyan de rha tha (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. Kya yeh izzat hai meri? (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?)”Watch the video hereThe match Azam referred to ended in a heavy defeat for Pakistan — bowled out for 157 in 19.5 overs, with Azam dismissed for zero as England chased down the target in 15.3 overs with seven wickets to spare.
