'Improved and matured’ Babar Azam returns to lead Pakistan with resolve

Babar Azam is determined to turn around Pakistan’s miserable fortunes in the red-ball format after being handed the reins once again, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) moving on from Shan Masood. An “improved and matured” Babar says he feels “very confident this time” and wants to instil discipline in the squad, setting new benchmarks in fitness and performance.

“It is an honour for me to be leading Pakistan again,” Babar told the PCB after being reappointed as Test captain. “I have learned from my past experience of leading the side and playing as a player. I am very confident this time and I feel I have improved and matured. So, I will be leading this team with better planning and a positive mindset this time around … There were negatives and positives in my last tenure, which I analysed and it provided me clarity.”

“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.”

PCB's month-long camp at NCA in sweltering heat of Lahore

To prepare for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, the PCB staged a month-long camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, in the sweltering summer heat. The emphasis was on fitness, fielding, and exposing players to adversity.

Aqib Javed, part of the Men’s National Selection Committee, was blunt during the squad announcement for West Indies and England tours: the decline in pace was alarming, and bowling at 125kph wasn’t acceptable in Test cricket. Babar echoed those concerns and revealed that players were made aware of their roles in crunch situations.

“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. We have also worked on our fielding during the camp and learned how to survive adverse conditions, as this camp was conducted in scorching heat.”

For Babar, the challenge is not just about skill but about sustaining intensity across sessions.

“It is important to understand where and why we have been struggling in Tests. The bowlers need to have the same intensity in the second and third spells as the first ones. The fatigue will kick in, but as a player you need to be ready to serve the requirement of the team. It goes for the batters too and this is something on which I do not compromise. We have focused more on practice matches in this camp and it has allowed players to bat for multiple sessions and hours, which I feel will be helpful for them.”

A tough road ahead for Babar and Pakistan

Babar’s return to leadership comes with daunting challenges. Conditions in the Caribbean and England are alien to Pakistan’s players, and success will demand resilience, discipline, and performances of the highest order.

Pakistan's Test tour of the Caribbean

Pakistan's Test tour of England