Veteran Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has come out in support of under-fire Azam Khan and slammed the trolls who have recently mocked and body-shamed him. Azam has not been in his best form in the recently concluded UK tour, and the pressure is mounting on him to prove the critics wrong in the ongoing T20 World Cup. However, cricket fans have stooped to a new low and body-shamed the Pakistan wicketkeeper batter on social media after he had a tough time behind the wickets against England and dropped a few catches.

The Pakistan team has been under the scanners before their campaign opener against USA, as they entered the tournament after a 0-2 series defeat against England and before that lost a match to Ireland too. The recent results have only put pressure on Azam, who is the son of legendary Pakistan cricketer Moin Khan, but has failed to make any impact with the bat and gloves in the recent matches.

Latif has slammed the trolls for body-shaming Azam and said that the 25-year-old doesn't deserve this kind of backlash.

"He is under immense pressure. He is being body-shamed, is being trolled. Azam is an exceptional batsman in T20s. He is a clean hitter, plays spinners well, has worked on his game against the pacers. I feel bad for the kid, he is only 25. He doesn’t deserve to be trolled like this," Latif told the Indian Express.

Meanwhile, he also suggested that Pakistan should hand the wicketkeeping duties to Mohammad Rizwan who is better than Azam and said if he doesn't take the gloves then the team will struggle in World Cup.

"Rizwan is Pakistan’s best keeper and has been a warrior for this team. Wicketkeepers run the game from behind the stumps. It is not only about DRS but the other facets of the game as well. Now he is fielding in the deep, which is wrong."Babar doesn’t have that captaincy acumen, he needs Rizwan and if Rizwan is not Pakistan’s keeper, Pakistan will struggle in the World Cup," he added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, last edition's runner-ups, will take on co-hosts USA on Thursday. While on paper, the Babar Azam-led side looks the outright favourite to win the clash, Pakistan's recent form suggests that it might not be a cake walk.

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