Babar Azam says selection not in his hands before Sri Lanka Tests

"Selection or deselection of players is not in my hands": Babar Azam ahead of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Tests

Rawalpindi, November 9

Pakistan, currently at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027 standings, will face Sri Lanka in a two-Test series, with the opening match beginning on November 9 in Rawalpindi and the second Test scheduled to start on November 17 in Lahore.

Ahead of the series opener, Babar Azam said team selection was not in his hands, adding that while he provides inputs, the selectors and coaches make the final decisions.

He said his responsibility was to get the best out of the 15 players selected and help the team deliver match-winning performances.

"The 15 players I was given, my job is to get the best out of. The selection or deselection of players is not in my hands. The selectors and coaches have given us a team, and my job is to help them fight and produce match-winning performances. I can't tell you in public what exactly my role is, and what aspects my role does not extend to. I'll always talk freely about my role within the setup. I give my input, and then the selectors and coaches do their job," he said ahead of the match, as quoted by Cricinfo.

His remarks come after Pakistan made last-minute changes to their squad for the Sri Lanka series. Less than 48 hours before the first Test, Abdullah Fazal and Ali Usman were removed, while four players were added, three of whom are yet to make their Test debuts.

This is the second time in two Tests that Pakistan have reshuffled their squad after its announcement. Earlier, ahead of the third Test against England, the team sent home seven players and brought in seven replacements, while also removing the head coach and bowling coach.

Babar said Pakistan were focusing on young talent while maintaining a balance between experienced players and youngsters, giving emerging players opportunities to perform and help take the team forward.

"Our team is quite young. We've tried to make a better combination of seniors and juniors. We'll give youngsters opportunities to express themselves and perform well, and to take our team to the next level," he said.

Babar also addressed his recent poor form, saying he was working with coaches to improve his performance and did not believe taking a break from cricket would help.

"I'm talking to coaches about what I can improve. We're talking about it and working on it. I think positively. As a senior player, you want to do your best. People have different opinions, but if I take a break, how will I improve? I try and improve all the time. If you don't perform, you learn where you're making mistakes. You can't be perfect, you can just try and keep improving. I think the more I play, the better I'll be. Every day, you're not making the same mistake. You might make different mistakes. I prepare myself in training and on the field. I work hard, and I have to believe the result will come," he said.

— ANI