New Delhi. Pakistan’s Azam Khan does not look like an international cricketer at first glance. Azam, who weighs around 110 kg, is part of the Pakistan cricket team participating in the T20 World Cup 2024. The 25-year-old Azam is a wicketkeeper batsman and is known for his powerful shots. His identity does not end here. Azam is the son of legendary Pakistan wicketkeeper Moeen Khan. It is often alleged that his father’s influence earned him a place in the Pakistan team.
Although Azam has played explosive innings in various T20 leagues, including the Pakistan Super League (PSL), his bat has been quiet in 13 T20 Internationals so far. In such a situation, critics are raising their voices on his place in the T20 World Cup team. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi even said that I will not let Azam even come close to the team on the basis of fitness. Afridi said that Azam’s hitting is excellent but the ball will be less on West Indies’ slow pitch. In such situations, as a wicketkeeper, he may struggle to bend down and collect the ball.
‘…who has selected him in the Pakistan team..’
Not only Afridi, Azam too has become a laughing stock for Pakistani fans due to his poor fitness and heavy body. People say that Azam can’t tie his body to wicket keeping and is the weak link. Azam failed to score in the recent T20 series against England. He also dropped some catches while keeping wicket. In such a situation, critics have created many memes on Azam as well as on the Pakistani player who picked him. One user even wrote, ‘He (Azam) can’t even walk fast, so who picked him in the Pakistan team?’ For his chubby body, he has also been given funny names like Aloo, Ladoo, Elephant and Big Boy.
Although fans are questioning Azam’s inclusion in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad due to his heavy build, some heavy cricketers have been a part of this big tournament in the past as well.
Let’s take a look at the top cricketers who participated in the T20 World Cup.
Mohammad Shahjad of Afghanistan
There are some similarities between Mohammad Shahjad and Azam of Afghanistan. Both weigh more than 100 kg and play as wicketkeepers. 37-year-old Shahjad (Mohammed Shahjad) is also famous for his explosive batting. Shahzad, who is five feet 3 inches tall, has scored 69 runs in two Tests, 2727 runs in 84 ODIs and 2048 runs in 73 T20Is. He has also scored six centuries in ODIs and one century in T20Is. Shahzad has been a part of the Afghan team in 5 T20 World Cups (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2021) and has scored 402 runs (two fifties) in 19 matches at an average of 21.25. He also has 8 catches and five stumpings as a wicketkeeper in this tournament.
Jesse Ryder of New Zealand
Jesse Ryder has been in the limelight for his obesity as well as his acting. Apart from being an excellent left-arm batsman, he was also a medium pace bowler. As an opener for the Kiwi team, JC played 18 Tests, 48 ODIs and 22 T20Is. In Test cricket he scored 1269 runs with three centuries, in ODIs he scored 1362 runs with three centuries and in T20 he scored 457 runs with three fifties. He was an expert in playing all kinds of shots. Unfortunately, Jesse’s international career lasted only from 2008 to 2024. Apart from his heavy body, his name also hit the headlines due to his spoiled nature and ‘drinking’. He was part of the New Zealand team in the 2009 and 2010 T20 World Cups. In the 2009 T20 WC held in England, he played one match against Scotland and scored 31 runs, while in the 2010 tournament he scored 93 runs (highest 42 runs) in five matches. Ryder, who once weighed over 100 kg, made his ODI debut after shedding 10 kg.
Samit Patel from England
Samit Patel of Indian origin played 6 Tests, 36 ODIs and 18 T20 matches for England. This heavy-bodied cricketer, apart from hitting the ball hard, was also useful as a leg-spinner. Unfortunately, he did not have much success in international cricket. Patel has 151 runs and 7 wickets in Tests, 482 runs and 24 wickets in ODIs and 189 runs and 7 wickets in T20Is. Samit’s name came into the limelight when he was not included in England’s squad for the 2011 World Cup due to his overweight and poor fitness. However, he later found a place in the England squad for the 2012 T20 World Cup. He scored 67 runs in 3 matches and also took two wickets.
Interestingly, Samit’s highest score during this time was 67 which he scored in a match against Sri Lanka. In the match against Afghanistan, Samit remained unbeaten without scoring a single run while he did not get a chance to bat against the West Indies. Samit, who played cricket for England at Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 level, once alleged that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) did not handle his overweight issue properly. According to reports, Samit weighed around 100 kg at the time of the 2011 World Cup (ODI).
Andrew Flintoff of England
England’s Andrew Flintoff, who has tremendous cricketing skills, has also attracted media attention for his spoiled personality, drinking habits and obesity. Flintoff, with his tall height and heavy build, is considered among the top all-rounders in the world. Capable of changing the course of any match with his batting and bowling, the cricketer played 79 Tests, 141 ODIs and 7 T20Is for England. He has scored 3845 runs and 226 wickets in Test cricket, 3394 runs and 169 wickets in ODIs and 76 runs and 5 wickets in T20. Flintoff, known as ‘Freddie’, was obese as a result of an eating disorder associated with mental health. In an interview, Flintoff said, ‘I was struggling with the eating disorder bulimia. I faced many mental problems during my playing days. I used to feel guilty about the possibility of gaining weight after eating food. I was known as a fat cricketer. After being criticized by the media for fitness and obesity, it seemed that all eyes were on me. In the final phase of his cricket career, Flintoff was included in the England squad for the 2007 T20 World Cup. Apart from scoring 70 runs, he took 5 wickets in 5 matches of the tournament. Yuvraj Singh got angry with Stuart Broad after his altercation with Flintoff in the much-hyped India-England match of T20 World Cup 2007. UV created history by hitting six sixes in Broad’s over.
Tags: Azam Khan, ICC T20 World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Team, T20 World Cup
First published: June 6, 2024, 08:16 IST