Ahmad Shahzad stands against body shaming in Azam Khan criticism

Pakistan opener Ahmad Shahzad has reacted to the criticism faced by the Men in Green wicket-keeper Azam Khan for his poor performance and fitness.

Speaking on a local news channel, Shehzad emphasized that while criticizing someone's performance is acceptable, body shaming should be avoided.

"It’s your right to rebuke (over performance) but do not body shame him," says Shahzad.

He highlighted that accountability for the team's performance rests with the entire team, not just one individual.

Pakistan dropped the middle-order batsman from the playing XI for their matches against India and Canada in the World Cup.

During Pakistan’s first match in the tournament against the United States, Azam was out for zero. This marked his third duck in the last six T20Is.

Azam has been under fire for his fitness and recent poor showings in T20 matches, including the World Cup. Despite being dropped from the playing XI after consecutive matches, Azam has faced significant scrutiny, including social media trolling, which according to batsman Imam Ul Haq, impacts a player's performance negatively.

Azam has struggled to perform consistently since his debut in July 2018, scoring only 88 runs in over 14 T20 innings for Pakistan.