"Meri Zindagi Na Ekdum Ruk Gayi...": PAK Cricketer Azam Khan Recalls Terrifying Moment Against Mark Wood in England
Pakistan star Azam Khan recalled his painful dismissal by Mark Wood’s fast bowling at The Oval during Pakistan’s 2024 England tour, calling it one of the toughest moments of his career.
Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan recently shared his tough experience facing Mark Wood’s fast bowling during Pakistan’s 2024 tour of England.
On a recent viral podcast, Azam spoke about the challenges Asian batters face on fast, bouncy English pitches. The moment happened during the fourth T20I at The Oval, when Pakistan was struggling at 84/4 after a promising start. Azam walked in to bat, not knowing that his short stay would become widely talked about.
Facing Wood’s first ball, a sharp bouncer, he confidently left it. Azam said he felt calm at first: "Mark Wood ne mujhe pehla bouncer mara. I left it. I was like, ha theek hain. Matlab sahi hain. Humare yaha bhi 150 wale bowler hain." (When Mark Wood bowled the first bouncer, I left it. I was like, “Alright, we have 150 kph bowlers in Pakistan too.”)
The Second Delivery Changed Everything
The second ball from Mark Wood changed everything for Azam Khan. He described the shock of facing Wood’s fast bowling: "When he bowled me that second bouncer, I was like, woah, yeh matlab kya hua hain mere saath? Like meri zindagi na ekdum ruk gayi, bhai ye mere saath kya hua hain!!!" (When he bowled me that second bouncer, I thought, “What has happened to me? My life just paused for a second, and I wondered what had just happened.”)
The ball hit his glove, and at first, he and his partner Usman Khan thought he was safe. But the pain in his pinky finger told a different story. Realising the ball had nicked the glove, Azam chose not to review and began the long, painful walk back, made worse by the crowd’s abuse at The Oval.
Just a Bad Day
Looking back, Azam said it was one of the toughest days of his career. He dropped a couple of catches later, and his memory of crying on the ground with Shadab Khan consoling him still lingers.
It was a day when nothing went his way. Pakistan scored 157 runs, which England chased in 15.3 overs to win the series 2-0. But for Azam, the lessons from that day at The Oval were far more personal than any scoreline.
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