Lahore, 6 July 2026:
Babar Azam says he is more mature, clearer in his thinking and ready to lead Pakistan with “good planning” after being named Test captain for the second time.
The 31-year-old spoke in his first exclusive interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board after returning as Test captain, appearing on Straight Drive with Salman Butt. Babar takes over from Shan Masood, who was appointed for Pakistan’s away series in Australia in December 2023 and went on to lead the side until the Bangladesh series in June 2026.
Pakistan lost that two-match Test series against Bangladesh 2-0, putting renewed focus on the team’s red-ball direction ahead of upcoming assignments against West Indies and England.
“Whenever you become Pakistan’s captain, it is a matter of honour,” Babar said. “Now that I have become captain again, I am very confident. I have learnt a lot. I have improved a lot. When you play, you get maturity. Inshallah, this time, with good planning and a good mindset, I will lead the team.”
Babar said his previous spell as captain taught him important lessons, both from the decisions that worked and those that did not.
“When I thought about it, did I do good, did I do bad, could I have done better, you see a clear picture,” he said. “I have rebuilt my mindset. I have brought more clarity in it and taken things positively.”
Pakistan’s latest Test squad includes several young and domestic performers and Babar said his role as a senior player will be to protect them from pressure while demanding higher standards.
“This is a very young team,” Babar said. “The best domestic players, the performers, are in this team. As a senior player, as a captain, you try to take performances from them and keep them relaxed. International cricket is a pressure game, so I try to keep the pressure off them.”
Babar said three areas would be non-negotiable under his leadership: discipline, fitness and performance.
“My main focus is on these three things: discipline, fitness and performance,” he said. “These will matter a lot for me as a team and to build the team. I don’t compromise on these three things.”
Pakistan held an extended training camp before the tours, with fitness and fielding among the central areas of focus. Babar said Pakistan had struggled in Test cricket because players were not always able to maintain intensity across long spells and sessions.
“We were always struggling in Test matches,” he said. “We used to lag a little behind in fitness, whether in batting or bowling. Where we had to make an impact, we couldn’t make an impact.”
He said the camp was designed to test players physically and mentally, especially in difficult conditions.
“The main thing after fitness was patience,” Babar said. “You have to get ready in such heat. It is not easy to train. The stronger you behave, the easier the results will be for you.”
Pakistan will be without some of its most established fast-bowling names, including Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, but Babar backed the less experienced group to meet the challenge.
He pointed to bowlers such as Abbas, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali and Aamir Jamal, saying some may lack international experience but bring domestic experience, discipline and the ability to bowl long spells.
“In a Test match, you should have one or two bowlers who bowl 140-plus,” Babar said. “Whether junior or senior, it has an impact on the other team. If you have a bowler with good pace, it gives you a different type of planning.”
Babar said Pakistan had discussed how the bowling attack must respond in third spells, when fatigue sets in and matches often shift.
“If you have bowled two spells, we want the third one the same way,” he said. “You can be as fatigued as you want, but as a player, how do you prepare yourself for that spell? I always want the team first.”
Looking ahead to West Indies and England, Babar said Pakistan had tried to prepare according to the conditions expected on both tours. He said England would be a particular challenge, though several Pakistan players have county experience.
“In England, most of our players have played county cricket,” Babar said. “They know the conditions. That is also a plus for us. The conditions have changed in the last couple of years and we are planning accordingly.”
On his own batting, Babar said captaincy brings responsibility but insisted his approach does not change whether he leads the side or plays only as a batter.
“Whenever I go to bat, I don’t think about myself,” he said. “I always take responsibility. What does the team require from me? If the team wants me to play fast in a Test match, I play that way. If the team wants me to play defensively, I play that way.”
Babar said communication with batting partners helps him handle pressure.
“Communication is very important in batting,” he said. “The more I talk, the more I engage with my partner, he will be on and so will I.”
Asked about criticism and outside noise, Babar said players cannot control opinions but can choose how to respond.
“Everyone has their own point of view,” he said. “We can’t change that. We do listen to good things. If we think it is a good thing, we apply it. Otherwise, we try to ignore the negative.”
Babar also urged young cricketers to trust their process and avoid making sudden changes when results do not come quickly.
“The message is simple: believe in yourself and work hard,” he said. “You won’t get results in a week or a month. Routines matter. The more you follow routines, the better it is for you.”
With Pakistan rebuilding after a disappointing home defeat to Bangladesh, Babar asked fans to keep supporting a young side that will face difficult tours.
“The expectations of the fans are always high,” he said. “We should never disappoint the fans. Sometimes you don’t execute things as a team and you don’t get results. This is the beauty of the game. When you lose, you learn from it. When you win, you learn from it.
“We expect you to support us and every Pakistan player. We will try to meet your expectations.”
