Viral video claims Babar Azam called Azam Khan 'genda' during Pakistan training session for 2024 T20 World Cup
A viral video is doing the rounds on the internet in which Pakistan captain Babar Azam is heard calling keeper-batter Azam Khan something. While it is not exactly clear what the Pakistan skipper is referring to Azam as, some users on social media have claimed that Babar referred to Azam as 'genda' (a slang for overweight people).
The 2022 runners-up Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against co-hosts United States at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday, June 6. Subsequently, they will take on arch-rivals India at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.
Ahead of the key fixtures, the Pakistan team seems to have found itself in some controversy yet again. On Monday, June 3, a number of users shared a viral video on social media and claimed that Babar body-shamed Azam by commenting on him and saying:
"Ay genda nai siddha hoya."
Azam is then seen pointing at something as he walks away. It is not clear whether his act is a reaction to the Pakistan captain's alleged comment.
Azam Khan’s World Cup selection has come in for criticism following his poor show against England
While Azam is highly rated as a batter in Pakistan cricket, his selection in the T20 World Cup has come under the scanner in the wake of his poor showing in the recently concluded T20I series against England.
The 25-year-old was dismissed for 11 in Birmingham and a duck at The Oval. The latter dismissal went viral on social media as Mark Wood bowled a brute of a bouncer and Azam failed to get out of the way in time.
Apart from struggling with the bat, Azam also disappointed behind the stumps, dropping some regulation catches. Skipper Babar, however, defended the under-fire batter and commented at a post-match press conference:
"When we don't select a player, you ask us why we did not select him. And then, when we select him, you ask us why he was selected. We need to back the players who have been selected."
Azam, the son of former Pakistan captain Moin Khan, made his T20I debut against England in Nottingham in July 2021. In a stop-start international career, the right-handed batter has so far played 13 T20Is, scoring 88 runs at a strike rate of 135.38, with a best of 30*.
In his overall T20 career, the stumper has 3,242 runs to his name from 165 matches at a strike rate of 148.03, with a best of 109*.