Babar Azam lashes out at critics, says he has total control in team and selection matters

Babar Azam frequently faces accusations of being a captain without authority and recently former skipper Shoaib Malik in tweets inferred that Babar was not taking independent decisions.

Karachi: Pakistan's top batsman Babar Azam on Wednesday dismissed criticism that he was a powerless captain, who took dictation from the head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq.

The top ODI batsman frequently faces accusations of being a captain without authority and recently former skipper Shoaib Malik in tweets inferred that Babar was not taking independent decisions.

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

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

"I don't understand but frequently it is said in press conferences and in the media that I don't have authority and don't take independent decisions," Babar said.

"I want to make it clear once and for all that I have total control and say in team selection and other matters. I handle everything on the field and I decide the playing eleven with the management giving their input. I know what my responsibilities are as captain," he said.

Babar also made it clear he had no issues with the head coach and whether Pakistan needed a white ball coach was the domain of PCB.

"The team management is fully supporting every player, so I am happy, he said.

The Pakistan captain also said that the two-Test series that starts in Harare against Zimbabwe from Thursday would not be an easy assignment for his team.

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

Babar said that Zimbabwe might be low in Test rankings but no team could be taken lightly at the top level and that the African nation would have the advantage of playing at home.

The Test batsman also said he was not worried about the frequent middle-order failures in the white ball series.

Asked about the absence of seasoned leg-spinner, Yasir Shah from the series due to an injury, Babar said 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 lone test in Ireland and a two-Test series in England in 2018.

Responding to a question that many people felt he was a selfish player, Babar said he does not agree.

Babar also said he was working hard on getting into the mode of finishing off matches and also try to convert the 50s into 100s and 100s into bigger scores.