Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan has opened up about a moment of profound humiliation during a match against England in 2024, revealing he was left “in tears on the field” due to his poor performance and public criticism.

The cricketer, who has struggled for form and fitness, recounted the challenging experience in a recent interview, highlighting the immense pressure and public scrutiny he faced.

Azam Khan played 14 T20 Internationals for Pakistan between 2021 and 2024 but failed to score a half-century and his fielding was often criticised.

Azam Khan detailed a particularly difficult moment during the England match where he struggled against fast bowling and was injured. But the public reaction was what truly shattered him.

He recalled an instance where an English fan, questioned by a Pakistani reporter, brutally summed up his reputation.

He described the devastating public insult:

“The Oval crowd started abusing me. There was a Pakistani reporter who asked a drunk Englishman about his favourite Pakistani player. He replied, ‘Azam Khan, he can’t bat, can’t field.’ That broke me. Kya yeh izzat hai meri?” (Is this my reputation?)

Khan’s string of poor performances eventually led to him being dropped from the national squad after the 2024 T20 World Cup. His recent confession sheds light on the immense mental toll such criticism takes on professional athletes.