Rawalpindi, November 8, 2026 – The Europe Today: Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has said that the decision to field a young Test side was taken during the tour of England. He was responding to questions about the inexperience of the current squad.
“Everyone is asking why our Test team is so young. We had decided in England that we would go with young players,” Babar Azam said at a press conference in Rawalpindi.
The first Test of the series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka begins in Rawalpindi tomorrow.
Babar Azam Confident in Young Players’ Form
Babar said the players were coming into the series after playing first-class cricket and were in good form. “My mindset always remains positive. As a senior player, I always try to give my best performance,” he said.
He noted that the change in Pakistan’s Test cricket was visible to all, with seven to eight players in the side being young. “The selectors and the coach have picked the team. We should not dwell on what has passed but learn from our mistakes,” he said. “In cricket, sometimes you perform and sometimes you don’t. The same mistakes don’t happen every day.”
“No One Is Perfect”: Captain Reflects on His Own Form
The captain acknowledged that his own performances had not matched expectations. “No one is perfect, and there is always room for improvement. I think about my mistakes, and the more I play, the more I will improve,” he said.
“I have my practice and hard work. I admit that I have not been performing up to expectations. What happened on the England tour is in front of everyone, and it is not necessary to explain everything. The selectors do their job, and I do mine,” Babar said.
He added that he raises his views with the selectors when needed, and that every series matters to him. “I try to win every match,” he said.
Guiding Young Teammates
Babar said he knows the fans are waiting for him to perform. As a senior player, he regularly offers suggestions and advice to his junior teammates, and he said the young players believe in themselves.
Asked about former batting great Mohammad Yousuf, Babar described him as a legend and one of Pakistan’s finest players. “I have not been in contact with Mohammad Yousuf. Whenever he contacts me, I will certainly learn from him,” he said.
