Pakistan cricket team is touring New Zealand, a series that the team will not like to remember. Pakistan has already lost the ongoing T20 series after losing first 3 matches. Now to add to that humiliation, the DJ at a stadium in New Zealand seemingly trolled Pakistani cricketer Azam Khan for his obesity.
The incident took place during the 3rd T20 at Dunedin on 17th January, when The Big Show theme music was played on the stadium sound system when Pakistani power-hitter came to the crease. When Pakistan was at 95 for 3 after 8 overs, Azam Khan joined Babar Azam at the middle. But when he was entering the field, the theme music for WWR superstar The Big Show was played in the stadium. Big Show was known for his giant size, and therefore it didn’t take long for people to figure out that the music was played to troll overweight Azam Khan, angering Pakistani cricket fans.
Pathetic from the hosts to play The Big Show's entrance music when Azam Khan came out to bat. @TheRealPCB should take it up with @BLACKCAPS 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼 #NZvsPAK pic.twitter.com/pUm4YU4yJl
— Rizwan Abbas (@RizwanAbba5248) January 17, 2024
Pakistanis slammed New Zealand over the incident.
What the hell? Azam Khan comes to bat and they start playing the Big Show theme song🤬🤬@BLACKCAPS what is this behaviour?#PAKvsNZ #AzamKhan #BabarAzam
— Abdullah (@Abdullah1124971) January 17, 2024
Pathetic from the hosts to play The Big Show's entrance music when Azam Khan came out to bat. @TheRealPCB should take it up with @BLACKCAPS 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼 #NZvsPAK https://t.co/sT2mxV7fog
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 17, 2024
Azan Khan didn’t last long, and he was dismissed after scoring just 10 runs. The Pakistan team managed to score 179 after losing 7 wickets in 20 overs, chasing 224 scored by NZ.
It is notable that Azam Khan has been regularly trolled for his plus-sized body. The heavyweight cricketer has been called Aloo, Laddu, Haathi, Fatso, Big Boy etc on social media. Similarly, World Wrestling Federation (later World Wrestling Entertainment) star Big Show, real name Paul Donald Wight II, is also known for his massive size. Before WWF he was part of World Championship Wrestling, where he was known as The Giant.
7 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 230 kg, Big Show dominated the wrestling world with his massive body size alone. Therefore, it seems that the DJ decided to welcome Azam Khan with the theme music of Big Show. At WWF/WWE, most star wrestlers have their own theme music, which is played when they enter the ring, and when they win a match.
New Zealand has a history of playing WWE theme music at cricket grounds. In 2022 when Kiwi player Glenn Phillips walked out to bat against Pakistan during a triangular series with Bangladesh, the theme music of WWE icon John Cena was played.
Despite his weight, Azam Khan remains a big hitter of the ball. According to his trainer Shehzar Muhammad, his weight helps him generate power. Muhammad also said that if Azam Khan loses a lot of weight suddenly, he will lose power to hit the ball.
Azam Khan has said that he uses the insults hurled at him as a motivational tool, and he scribbled such insults on paper and sticks to his wall. Earlier he used to weigh 130 kgs, but has lost 30 kgs in recent years. Azam Khan’s father and former cricketer Moin Khan has also said that he would advise his son to lose weight.
