Pakistan big-hitter Azam Khan feels quicker, more agile after losing 20kg

Azam Khan: 'Last year, I was slow while running, and my lateral movement behind the stumps wasn't great. Now, I feel quicker and more agile, which is very satisfying' Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani Pakistan big-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan says he feels 'quicker and more agile' after losing 20kg. Azam has faced persistent criticism for being overweight throughout his career, prompting him to embark on a rigorous fitness journey to improve his health and on-field performance. The road to weight loss was far from easy for the 28-year-old, who enlisted the help of a dietician, consulted doctors about his weight loss, and maintained strict discipline in both his training regimen and what he ate. Additionally, he relocated from Karachi to Lahore. 'I've been putting in daily effort, repeating drills, and that's really helped my confidence. When you shift to a different city, you have to work hard enough and be more disciplined. So I have felt that I have been more disciplined with my training as well as my diet,' Azam was quoted as saying by A Sports . 'I had to make serious changes, hire a dietician, consult doctors for my weight loss, and stay disciplined with my diet. There are cheat days, of course but overall, I've lost a lot of weight, and I'm moving much better on the field. 'Last year, I was slow while running, and my lateral movement behind the stumps wasn't great. Now, I feel quicker and more agile, which is very satisfying.' One of the more intriguing aspects of his weight loss is that he had to switch to lighter bats. Despite the change, he insisted that he hasn't lost any of the power he once had. 'I had to reduce the weight of my bat after losing weight. Like when I was heavy i was using a heavier bat, but when I got lighter, I had to change my bat weight as well, but I haven't lost any power. In fact, I don't get tired as much while batting now, and I feel more comfortable overall,' Azam said. Azam was not picked for Pakistan's recent three-Test series against England, where the men in green were demolished 3-0. MORE PAKISTAN CRICKET NEWS: Babar Azam should consider retiring from T20Is, Pakistan pacer says