LAHORE: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on Saturday held a virtual press conference where he defended changes to the T20 World Cup squad, saying that some players were not in a “fine touch” during the National T20 Cup.<\/p>\n
In a virtual press conference from UAE, the Pakistani skipper spoke about the squad selection, preparations for the T20 World Cup, conditions in the UAE and other matters.<\/p>\n
“Some players were not in a fine touch during the domestic tournament,” said the Pakistan skipper. “Changes were made to the squad since some players were not able to perform well.”<\/p>\n
Babar Azam welcomed the inclusion of left-handed batsman Fakhar Zaman, all-rounder Shoaib Malik and Haider Ali. He said the players had benefited from the experience of playing in the National T20 Cup.<\/p>\n
“Shoaib Malik is an experienced player who is also considered among the fit members of our squad,” he said. “However, we have to make a plan on including him in the playing XI squad.”<\/p>\n
However, he said the team management will decide on a plan<\/p>\n
“We also partook in a training camp after the National T20 Cup,” he said. “All the players were grouped there so it benefited us.”<\/p>\n
Babar Azam also spoke about representing Pakistan for the first time in a major ICC event as a skipper, saying that representing the country is a matter of pride for him.<\/p>\n
“However, captaining the team in a mega event is a challenging role for me,” he acknowledged.<\/p>\n
Azam said that he felt happy at being given the opportunity to do so.<\/p>\n
He said the team was focused on putting up a strong showing during the World Cup. “You derive confidence from impressive performances,” he said. “I am in form, hence it will benefit me,” he added.<\/p>\n
Azam said he was looking forward to the tournament getting underway. He said when Pakistan won the T20 World Cup in 2009, it was a moment of pride for him.<\/p>\n
“We will try our best to recapture that moment again,” he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking about conditions in the UAE, Babar Azam said the team had played a lot of cricket here. However, he emphasised the importance of the team playing impressive cricket in all three departments of the game.<\/p>\n
He lamented that the team had not played its scheduled international series against New Zealand and England.<\/p>\n