Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan, the son of former cricketer Moin Khan, continues to face criticism regarding his fitness, and former captain Younis Khan emphasises the importance of dietary discipline for a sustainable career.
Since his T20I debut against England in 2021, Azam Khan has played 14 matches, scoring 88 runs at a strike rate of 133.33. However, his fitness has been a subject of ongoing criticism. Despite an impressive performance, where he scored 226 runs with a strike rate of 170 in PSL 2024, concerns about his weight and perceived lack of agility, particularly in wicketkeeping, continue to spark debate.
Younis Khan told Dawn News, “We all enjoy burgers, but as professional athletes, we must show control. If Azam wants a long career, fitness is a top priority.” Khan’s 2024 T20 World Cup struggles, including a golden duck against the USA and a calf injury ruling him out of the New Zealand T20IS, underscore the issue.
Read: Azam Khan’s Hilarious Run-Out Blunder Goes Viral in ILT20 Match
Younis Khan’s advice to Azam is pragmatic, given cricket’s physical demands, but overlooks Khan’s power-hitting value (97 off 42 in PSL 2023). Fitness criticism, intensified by his 1.5km fitness test failure, often ignores mental health impacts, as larger-bodied players like Sisanda Magala note.
