Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam appeared to have bestow a new nickname upon teammate Azam Khan during their first training session in Dallas on Sunday.
In a viral social media video, Babar is seen allegedly saying ‘Yeh Gainda nahi siddha hoya (This Gainda hasn’t gotten straight yet’)’ in front of the entire Pakistan cricket team while they enjoyed a light football session.
The term ‘Gainda,’ which translates to 'rhino,' is often used mockingly to refer to overweight individuals.
Babar was then directing Azam to turn and get in line by saying ‘siddha ho (get straight)’.
However, some fans are arguing that Babar didn’t say ‘Yeh Gainda’ but instead said ‘Tera kandha’, which translates to ‘Your shoulder’.
Azam is under scrutiny for his poor performance with the bat and for dropping two catches in the recently concluded T20I series against England. Azam has recently deleted all posts on his Instagram account, sparking speculations that the move came in response to fan criticism over his fitness and selection for the T20 World Cup squad.
This isn't the first time Babar has given a nickname to a teammate during training.
Last year, during Pakistan’s training camp at the Pindi Cricket Stadium for the Australia tour, Babar added a touch of humor by calling Saud Shakeel 'Chota Don' (Little Don) after the southpaw skillfully caught a ball.
This nickname was inspired by the comedic character 'Chota Don' played by Rajpal Yadav in the Indian film 'Partner,' with 'Chota' humorously referencing the character's small stature.