Pakistan vs South Africa: Pakistan’s new test captain Babar Azam urges team to play aggressive cricket

Pakistan’s new test captain Babar Azam during his press conference on Monday.

Xtra Time Web Desk: Pakistan batsman Babar Azam will make his captaincy debut in test cricket against South Africa in the first test starting Tuesday at the National Stadium in Karachi. The stylish Pakistani batsman will lead the test side for the first time at home after missing out the New Zealand tour due to injury. He suffered a thumb injury which kept him out of action in New Zealand as the team lost to the BlackCaps 0-2.

The new Pakistan test captain has urged his teammates to play an aggressive and fearless brand of cricket. According to Babar, “At times you need to show your aggression but not on the field but off the field. “You need to back your teammates so that they can perform their roles entrusted on them. There will be times when the bowlers will not bowl well, but you need to back them. It doesn’t look nice to show aggression on the field (it looks ugly even on TV),” said Babar during a virtual conference on Monday.

Sharing his thoughts about missing the New Zealand series, Babar said,  “I missed the series against New Zealand, but it’s a proud moment for me that I am doing my captaincy debut in my own country.”

Talking about the Proteas side, Babar said, “South Africa is a good team. You can’t take them lightly, but conditions suit us more because most of us have played here.”

South Africa last toured Pakistan in 2007 because the country was forced to organize its home Test series in the United Arab Emirates following a terrorist attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in 2009. The second Test will be played in Rawalpindi from Feb. 4, followed by the three-match Twenty20 series in Lahore from Feb. 11-14.