No longer the brash youngster who was known for his fast cars and flashy lifestyle and who regularly made headlines for his speeding tickets,  former world champion Amir Khan now speaks passionately about the need to give back to those less fortunate - a trait he says he learned from his idol, the late Muhammad Ali.

Last year, he travelled to the Greek island of Lesbos to lead a charitable drive for Syrian refugees, while his current trip to Pakistan has seen him raise money and pledge wells for the residents of Thar, a drought-ridden southern district home to some of the country's most destitute people.

Ali, he says, was "not just a champion but a people's champion and that's how I want to be."

His academy in Islamabad - modelled after the one he founded in Bolton, northwest England, will aim to seek out talent in a country which only boasts sporadic success in cricket.

He said: "I really believe in the country, I really believe in the talent we have here, just like I did in the UK. I believed in talent in the UK and I produced amateur world champions and European champions and gold medallists and national champions. I want do the same for Pakistan."

Khan has been taking some time off and plans a fall return, after suffering a crushing sixth round knockout loss at the hands of then WBC middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.

The Bolton man was doing very well for the first five rounds, until Canelo clipped him with a huge right hand that send him down a full out on the mat. The contest was immediately waved off.

The fight with Canelo took place at a catch-weight of 155-pounds. Khan plans to move back down to the welterweight division where he's the mandatory challenger to WBC champion Danny Garcia.