Azam Khan excluded from batting practice ahead of Pak-Ind T20 World Cup clash

NEW YORK: Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan was dealt with a blow on Sunday after he was virtually excluded from the team's batting practice ahead of their upcoming match against India.

According to sources, the 25-year-old cricketer was left out while the rest of the team honed their batting skills, Geo News reported.

This has raised speculation about a potential lack of confidence in Azam from team's captain Babar Azam and coach Gary Kirsten, following Pakistan's recent disappointing loss to the United States, according to sources.

During the match against US earlier this week, Azam got out on a golden duck, prompting fans to express their frustration over the young player's selection in the squad, adding to the struggle of the cricketer.

He was also trolled by netizens after which all-rounder Imam Ul Haq defended Azam by saying that a cricketer is unable to perform well in the matches because of the trolling on social media.

Meanwhile, Azam has either deleted all his posts on his Instagram account or archived them for some reason, prompting speculations that he resorted to the move after receiving criticism from the fans over his fitness and selection in the T20 World Cup squad.

The son of legendary wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan has consistently faced criticism over his physical fitness despite his success in T20 league tournaments in Pakistan and abroad.

Since his international debut three years ago in July 2018, Azam has struggled to make an impact in T20Is for Pakistan, having scored only 88 runs in 13 innings.