His first assignment as Pakistan captain will be Australia Test series next month.
Newly-appointed Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali has called his appointment as a “huge honor” while terming the five-day format as the best format of the game, aiming to “leave a legacy” behind by nurturing new and young talents under his leadership.
The former ODI captain further added that his focus would be on getting the desired results in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship with a fearless approach.
He also wants to transfer his experiences to the young side and help them learn how to play fearless, positive cricket while saying building a positive culture is his top priority as captain.
Azhar told reporters, “There could be no greater honor. This is an opportunity for me to leave a legacy. The amount of cricket I have played for Pakistan, the next four-five years are very important for me both as a player and a captain.”
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He further explained, “The Test Championship is coming up, and that's like a World Cup for Test cricket. Right now, we are No.7 in the rankings, so we have a fair distance to travel. The teams we'll play in the Test Championship will almost all be higher ranked than us. So, there are many challenges, but it's also a great opportunity to play fearless, exciting cricket and get the desired results.
I aim to bring players through under my captaincy that can serve Pakistan cricket for many years to come. This is what I mean by leaving my legacy. I want to transfer my experiences to them, and help them learn how to play fearless, positive cricket.”
The 34-year-old added, “So, winning is very important, but building a positive culture is my top priority. As you know, I have prioritized Test cricket, because it is the best format of the game, and the format that sees the players' best skills come out. My priority will be to have my players focus on red-ball cricket because white-ball cricket will take care of itself.”
Azhar also revealed that he had sought clarification from PCB on the tenure of his role as Test captain before taking the responsibility as it was not short-term signing.
He signed off by saying, “I specifically asked whether my appointment will be short term or not. I got full support from the board that my appointment is not a short-term thing, which is why I accepted it. There's no set timeframe they've given me, but I've been assured there's enough time for me to prove myself and implement my own ideas on the team.”
(With ICC inputs)