Pakistan captain Babar Azam did not had a great time leading the Men in Green in the Test format in 2022. The Pakistan team failed to win a single test at their home soil in 8 attempts in 2022. Even though he was the leading run-scorer in the format in 2022, his side drew a blank in the win column at home when they hosted Australia, England and New Zealand. Due to this, Azam is feeling the heat piling upon him on captaining Pakistan in Test cricket.
On the eve of the ODI series against New Zealand on Monday, the Pakistani batter has been asked by a journalist about his thoughts on stepping down from Test captaincy and focusing on becoming a batting great. A reporter asked, "You are on your way to becoming a great batter. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Saeed Anwar were great batters but not great captains. We did not win a Test match in 8 attempts at home in 2022. Do you think you should leave Test captaincy so that your goal of becoming one of the greatest batters becomes easier?"
The Pakistan captain seemed to have gotten frustrated over the relevance of the question with the upcoming white-ball assignment with New Zealand. He replied, I think we are having a white ball series now and the Test matches are over. So if you have any questions about this white ball series ask about that."
Watch the Video here:
He was reportedly asked about his captaincy again and the Pakistani batter gave a blunt reply. “I don’t have to justify myself to anyone. I know how I am doing. My focus is on performing well for Pakistan," Azam said. Speaking on the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, Azam said, "In white-ball formats, we have performed well and we want to continue with that momentum against New Zealand although we know they are a very good side and it will be a tough series for both teams."
Pakistan Cricket Board has seen a series of transitions with Najam Sethi taking over as chairman and Shahid Afridi being appointed as an interim selector. Azam said that the team and the management are on the same page. "I think we are on the same page that is important. We have our best bowlers back and hopefully, we can do well against New Zealand," Azam added.
The New Zealand captain will lead the Kiwis in the ODIs. Ahead of the first ODI, Williamson opened on his team's approach for the series. "We have followed a particular pattern in white ball cricket and we will want to do that but it is a new experience for some of our players to be playing in the subcontinent conditions and they will have to adapt accordingly during the match," Williamson said.
