I look at current captains like Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli: Babar Azam

All eyes will be on Babar Azam when Pakistan travel to Australia for the T20I and Test series next month. Pakistan will play three T20Is and a couple of Tests against the team from Down Under. The tough assignment will kickstart Babar Azam’s career as a T20I captain. The Pakistan batting mainstay was recently given the responsibility after Pakistan Cricket Board sacked Sarfaraz Ahmed as the Test and T20I captain.

Babar Azam will be looking to hit the ground running as captain and would also be desperate to shut down his critics. The right-handed batsman has faced criticism after his indifferent displays in the humiliating 3-0 loss at the hands of Sri Lanka at home. Babar, who is currently the top-ranked T20I batsman in the world, managed 13, 3 and 27 runs in the three games.

Babar Azam slams critics

Babar, on Friday, lashed out at his critics who were saying that vice-captaincy affected his performance. He also made it clear that being the captain would not put any sort of pressure on him. He further said that he is confident of delivering as a batsman while leading the team. The Pakistan star cited the examples of Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson to back his claim.

“People judged in three matches [against Sri Lanka] that my performance suffered because I was vice-captain. That’s not how it works. In the game of cricket, you have ups and downs, and that was a poor series for us, no question. I give 120% for the team in every single match, and I don’t see why there would be any added pressure on me just because I’m the captain. I’ll continue to play as I always have, and I’m sure the performances will come,” Babar said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“Moreover, I’m not just thinking I’ll be happy to play regardless of the results. I’m looking to get a performance out of my team, as well as my individual performances. I look at current captains like Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli, and how well they manage their own form along with bringing results to the team. I’ll try to emulate them,” he added.

Well, Babar will be looking to make an impact straight away as the T20I captain. With Pakistan yet to announce the ODI skipper, a good outing in Australia will pretty much seal the deal for Babar. Recent reports have suggested that he could take over as an ODI captain and if he really does well in Australia, then one cannot see any other player getting that important role.

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