Pakistan skipper Babar Azam responded to criticism of his captaincy and said that he doesn’t need to satisfy anyone or answer to anyone.
The 28-year-old captain said he’s focused on winning for his country rather than critics and said, “I play cricket for fun. I need to please nobody. I know my batting and captaincy roles. Babar told a Karachi press conference. My job is to win matches for Pakistan.”
The captain also refused to reveal Pakistan’s playing XI for Monday’s first ODI against New Zealand.
“I didn’t read the pitch. We’ll evaluate our starting XI. The team will field its best XI and continue its white-ball momentum.”
The Pakistan captain said selectors and team management are in agreement.
“It’s important for the team that the captain, coach, and chief selector agree. We advised the chief selector on player selection, he said.
Pakistan can become the world’s top ODI team against New Zealand. If Pakistan wins the series 3-0, they will be ranked first with 114 rating points. With 107 points, the Men in Green are fifth. New Zealand leads with 116 points. Pakistan will win their fourth straight ODI series if they beat New Zealand.
Pakistan has beaten the Netherlands, West Indies, and Australia in their last three ODI series.
