‘Couldn’t focus on fitness’ – Azam Khan admits he was busy playing cricket in T20 leagues instead of losing weight

Fitness has often been a big talking point in Pakistan cricket. Wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan has now confessed that his own struggles were linked to too much cricket and not enough focus on health.

The 27-year-old is currently at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, where he is putting in hard work to drop weight and build stamina for a return to the national side.

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Azam, son of former captain Moin Khan, has not played for Pakistan since the 2024 T20 World Cup.

While his power-hitting ability has kept him in franchise leagues, the selectors have kept him away from the national squad. Now, the cricketer admits past mistakes but says he is determined to fix them.

Azam Khan reveals reason for lack of fitness

Speaking in a candid chat, Azam revealed that the last four to five years have been packed with cricket.

He played in league after league, which left him with little time to work on his physical condition. According to him, weight loss and fitness need months of effort, not just a few weeks.

He added that playing constantly had stopped him from committing to a long-term routine. 

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“Right now, I am in Lahore and trying to work on my fitness and game at the NCA. My weight loss won’t happen in a couple of weeks or days, it needs time. For the past four or five years, I have been playing a lot of cricket, so I didn’t have the chance to properly focus on my fitness,” Khan said.

Right now, Azam is training under guidance at NCA Lahore. His daily plan includes strict workouts and a controlled diet. The wicketkeeper-batter also admitted that earlier he had bad eating habits, which made things worse.

“I had some bad eating habits, but that’s not an excuse anymore,” Azam added.

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This time, though, he says excuses are not part of the plan. He wants to give himself the best chance to compete at an international level again.

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