I have full control of equipment and selection: Babar Azam

I have full control of equipment and selection: Babar Azam.

Pakistan’s best hitter, Babar Azam, on Wednesday dismissed criticism that he was a powerless captain, who followed the lead of head coach Misbah-ul-Haq.

ODI’s best hitter frequently faces accusations of being a captain without authority and recently former captain Shoaib Malik in tweets inferred that Babar was not making independent decisions. Also, read Covid-19 vaccine registration for the 18-44 age group begins today.

Some other former captains and players have also advised Babar to be more authoritative as a captain.

Babar told a virtual press conference that the debate over whether he was a captain in authority should end now.

“I don’t understand, but it is often said in press conferences and in the media that I have no authority and do not make independent decisions,” Babar said.

“I want to make it clear once and for all that I have full control and what I say in team selection and other matters. I take care of everything on the field and decide the eleven with the management giving their opinion. I know what my responsibilities as captain are, ”he said.

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Babar also made it clear that he had no head coach issues and if Pakistan needed a white ball coach it was the PCB’s domain.

“The team management is fully supporting all the players, so I am happy,” he said.

The Pakistan captain also said that the two-test series that begins in Harare against Zimbabwe from Thursday will not be an easy task for his team.

He said they would go more or less with the same combination that was played in the home series against South Africa.

Babar said that Zimbabwe could below in the test rankings, but no team could be taken lightly at the top tier and that the African nation would have the advantage of playing at home.

The test hitter also said he was not concerned about the frequent mid-order failures in the white ball series.

When asked about Yasir Shah’s absence from the series due to injury, Babar said the experience is always missed, but Pakistan had other good spinners in Nauman Ali Nawaz and Zahid Mahmood.

Yasir since his debut in 2014 has missed a series only once when Pakistan played a solo event in Ireland and a two-event series in England in 2018.

Responding to a question that many people felt was a selfish gambler, Babar said that he disagrees.

Babar also said that he was working hard to get into the match-finishing mode and also trying to turn 50 into 100 and 100 into bigger scores.