Pakistan cricket team Test captain Babar Azam has spelled out his mantra on returning as the skipper ahead of the series against West Indies, and fired a warning to his teammates. The musical chairs around the leadership ensues as Shan Masood was axed after the series loss to Bangladesh, following which the PCB decided to hand over the reins of the team once again to the ex-captain. Azam, who is set commence his second innings as Pakistan’s Test captain, has revealed what his mantra would be ahead of the series against West Indies.
What new Test captain Babar Azam expects from Pakistan
As per the PCB, Babar stated that performance, fitness and discipline were his major focus and that there would be no compromise on it. He said that he has always backed the players as a captain but added that it was only possible when there was a positive response from the players. Azam claimed that he had thoroughly analyzed the positives and negatives from his previous tenure as captain, and vowed to lead Pakistan with a progressive mindset.
“My main focus is on discipline, fitness, and performance and there would be no compromise on them. They are of utmost importance for me to build this team. I have always backed the players whenever I have led the team, but that can only be done when there is a positive response from the players,” Babar said.
The fitness of Pakistan cricketers has always been an issue and Azam made no attempt to hide that fact. The Pakistan Test skipper admitted that the team was lacking in fitness due to which there was least impact with both bat and ball. Babar said that players were informed why they were not able to perform in critical situations after holding one-on-one consultation with the coaches, while adding that the month-long camp at the NCA in Lahore in the scorching heat also helped the team improve their miserable fielding.
“What I have realised over the years is that we have been lacking a bit in fitness in Test cricket because of which we did not have impactful performances with the bat or ball. Through one-on-one discussions with the coaches and the management, the players were made aware about why they were not able to perform in critical situations and that exercise helped us zero in on fitness,” Babar added.
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