USA vs PAK: "Will not rate him as keeper" - Rashid Latif on Azam Khan as wicketkeeper faces severe criticism and trolling

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has leaped in defense of under-fire Azam Khan. The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman has been facing severe criticism and trolling for failing to justify his spot in the team.

While he has always been targeted by the trolls for his physique, the situation has become dire after his poor display on the field in the recently concluded series against England. In the last game of the series, Azam Khan lost his wicket on a brutal bouncer by Mark Wood before committing a number of blunders behind the stumps. Following the poor displays, his place in the Pakistan squad for the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup is being questioned.

Earlier, Azam Khan had opened up on how he deals with the trolls. Son of Pakistan great Moin Khan, the 25-year-old revealed that he has been using the trolling as a source of motivation. Speaking on Geo News, the under-pressure cricketer had revealed that he has a poster in his room that contains all the names he has been called.

"Parchi, aloo, mota, sifarshi, nepotism, gainda, baby elephant.. I have written all these things on a poster in my room, and every day before going to the training I look at them and it gives me the extra confidence to do well," he had said.

However, it looks like the trolling has finally taken a toll on him. He has restricted the comments section in addition to deleting all the photos he had posted on Instagram.

Rashid Khan defends Azam Khan:

With nothing much going right for Azam Khan at the moment, Rashid Latif has come out in his defense. The former cricketer stated that the youngster has been under immense pressure while also pointing out that he has been body-shamed as well. Latif also called Azam 'an exceptional batsman in T20s' before saying that he does not rate him as a wicketkeeper.

"He is under immense pressure. He is being body shamed, is being trolled," Latif told The Indian Express.

"Azam is an exceptional batsman in T20s. He is a clean hitter, plays spinners well, has worked on his game against the pacers. But I will not rate him as a keeper. It is nothing to do with his fitness, but because he doesn’t have that experience. He is still very new and raw to international level," he added.

Azam has played 13 T20Is so far and is yet to prove himself in international cricket. He has managed to score only 88 runs so far at an average of less than 10. However, he has done well in franchise cricket. In the PSL, he has scored 1,140 runs in 50 innings at a strike rate of 146.90. He has done well in the Caribbean Premier League as well and Pakistan would be hoping that he delivers for them in the ongoing T20 World Cup.