ISLAMABAD, :Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam on Tuesday said burden of the captaincy would not affect his batting as he kept both things apart without any pressure.
Babar was recently named as the Test captain tasking him to lead the teams in all formats. The 26-year-old\u2019s first assignment as Test skipper would be the ICC World Test Championship matches against New Zealand, to be played in Mount Maunganui and Christchurch from December 26-30 and January 3-7, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Babar also spoke about the burden of expectations from Pakistan fans and said, \u201cPeople have high expectations from me but this does not put me under pressure as I use it to build my confidence. Also, I don\u2019t think burden of captaincy will affect my batting because I try to keep both things separate,\u201d cricketpakistan.com.pk quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lahore-born cricketer was confident about his team\u2019s chances during the tour of New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are confident ahead of the series against New Zealand and hopefully we will put up a good show. Arriving in New Zealand, earlier than normal, will help us in acclimatising with the conditions and preparing adequately for the series.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have a good record against New Zealand, both, home and away. Our team is performing well and there is a good combination of senior and junior players. We want to utilise this opportunity and make a solid team for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The right-handed batsman also shed light on the different experience of bio-secure bubble in New Zealand, as compared with England, while also opening up on the mental stress associated with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe bio-secure bubble is different in New Zealand as compared to England. The first three days will be tough as we won\u2019t be allowed to leave our rooms and meet other players. But having said that we are getting used to it and won\u2019 be facing any major difficulty,\u201d he said.
\u201cYes, I agree that it (bio-bubble) can be a bit stressful at times because we are following the same routine every day. We miss the fact that we are not able to go for outings and shopping during the tours,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Azam also admitted that he has a say in selection matters. \u201cI give my feedback in selection of the side because I\u2019m the one who is supposed to lead the side on the field. I try to ensure that my input proves beneficial for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Babar also responded to criticism from former cricketers regarding his ability to finish matches and said that he was trying to improve this aspect of his game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI agree that when a player is set, he should finish the match. I wasn\u2019t able to finish the match against Zimbabwe despite scoring hundred and I think we lost that match because of me. But I\u2019m trying to improve this part of my batting, which was also evident in PSL, and hopefully in the future I won\u2019t repeat the same mistake,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, :Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam on Tuesday said burden of the captaincy would not affect his batting as he kept both things apart without any pressure.Babar was recently named as the Test captain tasking him to lead the teams in all formats. The 26-year-old\u2019s first […]<\/p>\n
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