On Tuesday, Pakistan secured their first win in T20 World Cup 2024, defeating Canada by seven wickets in New York. However, Babar Azam and Co stumbled at the start of the tournament, suffering a shock Super Over loss against co-hosts USA, followed by a narrow six-run defeat to their fierce rivals, India.
Wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan has faced scrutiny for his poor fitness and form in this tournament, failing to justify his selection. Furthermore, he has been dropped from the starting lineup and is not expected to regain his place for the remainder of the tournament.
Former Pakistan team director Mohammad Hafeez gave more insight on Azam’s fitness while speaking with a local news program.
“Other players in the Pakistan team can run two kilometers in just 10 minutes, but Azam Khan will take 20 minutes for the same distance. Regrettably, Azam Khan does not appear to be fully committed to playing international cricket,” said Hafeez.
“Fitness is crucial for playing at the required level, regardless of one’s build. We provided Azam with a fitness plan, but he was unable to improve his condition. While talent got you onto the team, maintaining adequate fitness is essential. In fact, you are the only player we’ve made exceptions for in terms of fitness standards,” he stated.
Azam, who made his T20I debut in 2021, has struggled to make an impact, managing only 88 runs so far. His woes continued when he was dismissed for a golden duck in his T20 World Cup debut, drawing criticism from former Pakistan players and fans.
In Group A, Pakistan sit in third place with 2 points from 3 matches, trailing the USA by 2 points. The USA’s recent defeat to India, which they lost by 7 wickets, has made the net run rate situation in the group less significant. Despite this, Pakistan have the upper hand over the USA, with a better net run rate of +0.191 compared to the co-hosts’ +0.127.