It’s been one hell of a week for Pakistan cricket! Alleged captaincy change, retirement U-turns, and now one of their biggest prospects may not participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. The ‘Azam’ issue may be the reason behind the Pakistan cricket team’s downfall at the mega-event in June.
Their destructive wicketkeeper batter, Azam Khan, has failed the fitness evaluation. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had organized a training camp at the Kakul Academy in Abbottabad. On the second day of the camp, each player was supposed to run 2 km.
While every player managed to finish the run in under 10 minutes, Azam Khan ran just 1.5 km, and that too in 20 minutes, more than double the average time.
Fitness test time recorded
Azam Khan: Failed
Mohammad Rizwan: 8 minutes and 26 seconds
Mohammad Haris: 8 minutes and 27 seconds
Naseem Shah: 8 minutes and 27 seconds
Haseebullah: 8 minutes and 27 seconds
Mohammad Wasim Jr: 8 minutes and 27 seconds
Mehran Mumtaz: 8 minutes and 30 seconds
Shaheen Shah Afridi: 8 minutes and 37 seconds
Agha Salman: 9 minutes and 20 seconds
Mohammad Amir: 9 minutes and 30 seconds
Shadab Khan: 9 minutes and 56 seconds
Mohammad Nawaz: 9 minutes and 57 seconds
Babar Azam skips fitness test
Former skipper Babar Azam has decided to skip the training camp in Abbottabad for the time being. The stylish batter is currently in Saudi Arabia for Umrah and will likely join the camp today, March 28. Other notable absentees are Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman, and Haris Rauf, who are either injured or recovering from an injury.
