Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has expressed his undying confidence and faith in the emerging talent as the country prepares for the high-octane forthcoming three-match Test series against Australia, starting on December 14th.
Pakistan will travel to Australia under the leadership of Shan Masood. The team will be eyeing to develop a good team with a focus on doing well in the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle. Babar Azam has had his opportunity to establish himself as the leader of the Pakistan team but he hasn’t done so while leading the team.
During PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf’s visit to the training camp in Pindi ahead of the Australia tour, former Pakistan Captain Babar Azam emphasized the fantastic opportunity for the squad’s fresh faces, especially newly appointed Test Captain Shan Masood to showcase their skillset at the highest level. He added that the team could learn from the experience of the newly appointed coaching staff.
“Almost all of them are the same guys, but for the new guys, it’s a golden opportunity, and Shan Masood also has a great chance. Wherever you go, you try to dominate; it’s not about going there and not being able to dominate, we can do it, we have the ability, and we take it forward in our own way. Whatever work we do, as a team, we are united”.
“We will take experience from Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Gul, and Saeed Ajmal. Things don’t just come all at once; they come from sharing and from experience. The more we share with each other, the more help it will be,” Babar Azam said.
A lot of things have changed since Pakistan’s exit from the ODI World Cup. Babar Azam stepped down from the leadership position after the team’s poor performance in the marquee event. Pakistan has appointed Shaheen Afridi as its new T20I captain and Shan Masood as the Test Skipper, with new coaching staff being brought into the team to prepare for the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy.
Pakistan squad for Australia Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi
