Young Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan has landed himself in controversy after he was seen wiping his eyebrow with US dollar currency on social media platforms.
The video, also featuring Pakistan captain Babar Azam and some other players, has drawn backlash with Pakistani cricket fans criticising Azam and other players for their insensitivity, given the country's economic situation.
The video captures a lighthearted moment among the national players and Azam is seen holding US dollars while engaging in a casual chat with Babar, who is behind the camera along with other team members.
Babar laughingly asked Azam, "What happened Abba?", who responded: "Bohat garmi hai (It is too hot here)," while wiping sweat with the dollar notes leading to laughter from teammates.
"Apart from a rare few in Pakistan's sporting history, none have the charisma, impact and influence of any kind, nothing for a young kid to aspire to. The current lot is just hopeless," wrote a user on social media.
Another user emphasised the need for education, stating: "That's why we always keep saying basic education is a must, these people travel the world but don't learn the basic humane values. Send them to school before you send them to an international platform." One fan wrote that while Pakistani people were facing food shortage, Azam is sitting under a roof and mocking poor people.
According to a reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board, the video also didn't go down well with some top officials and the players have been told to avoid unnecessary social media posts since the PCB already has a full fledged digital media department which keeps on uploading videos about the players.