Pakistan captain Babar Azam says team selection is the responsibility of the selectors and coach, adding that his role is to get the best out of the players available to him as a youthful Pakistan side prepares to face Sri Lanka in the opening Test of a two-match series on Monday.
Responding to questions about the omission of certain players despite their not having featured in recent matches, Babar said the squad had been selected after consultations between the selectors and team management.
“When we came back from England the scenario was in front of everyone. After that, when we sat down for this team, the selectors and the coach selected the side. I have been given 15 players. My job is to field them, get performances out of them and make them compete,” he said at his pre-series press conference on Sunday.
“The other things are not in my hands. Selection is their job. Wherever my input is required I give it, and we sit together with the selectors and coach to decide what is best possible. But not everything needs to be explained here about where my job begins and ends,” he added.
Babar’s remarks come as Pakistan prepare to field a considerably revamped side following their disappointing performance in the previous phase of the World Test Championship (WTC).
The captain said the team had decided to shift its focus towards the next cycle after the recent tour of England.
“We are almost out of this year’s Test Championship, so we are looking forward to the next one and preparing for it. We have taken a different step and injected different players.
“We are trying to apply a combination of seniors and juniors so that we get a good mix and give the youngsters the opportunity to express themselves and perform well. InshaAllah, you will see a different team,” he said.
Pakistan are ninth and last in the 2025-27 WTC standings, with a points percentage of 4.63 after nine matches, having won two and lost seven.
Deductions of 19 points for slow over-rates have further compounded their difficulties.
Even a 2-0 series victory against Sri Lanka would do little to revive their chances of reaching the final, although the remaining matches provide an opportunity to build a combination for the future.
Sri Lanka are seventh with a points percentage of 33.33 from six Tests, having won one, lost two and drawn three.
Pakistan’s squad features several uncapped or relatively inexperienced players who earned selection through their domestic performances.
They include Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Suleman, Azan Awais and Arafat Minhas, while recent additions Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Mohammad Tayyab Arif have further strengthened the youthful contingent.
Experienced players Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Abbas are expected to provide guidance to the newcomers.
The changes follow Pakistan’s 3-0 defeat in England, a result that left their WTC campaign in serious difficulty. Babar, however, said the team would take lessons from the tour rather than dwell on the outcome.
“What has gone is gone. We will learn from it and inject those lessons into the message we give the players about how we need to move forward. Our plan is positive,” he said.
Pakistan’s recent success in white-ball cricket has also provided encouragement ahead of the Test series.
The hosts defeated Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series towards the end of October, and Babar believes the result has helped lift the team’s confidence.
“Any series or match you win gives you confidence, and we have brought that vibe into the Test matches. When young blood comes into a team it gives a different energy, and I think that is present in this side,” he said.
The captain will also be looking to rediscover his form in the longer format. His last Test century came against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022, and his prolonged wait for another three-figure score has attracted considerable attention.
Babar said he remained focused on improving his game through hard work and learning from his mistakes.
“My thinking is always positive. As a player and senior player you try to give your best in every match. The more I play and stay on the ground, the more I try to improve. You learn from mistakes; no one is perfect. I figure out where I am going wrong and work on it with the coaches,” he said.
The right-handed batter has enjoyed success against Sri Lanka in the past, scoring two centuries in Pakistan’s 2019 home series against them and another hundred in Galle in 2022.
The upcoming series will provide him with an opportunity to regain his touch while leading Pakistan in home Tests.
Pakistan hold a 23-17 advantage over Sri Lanka in 59 previous Test meetings, with 19 matches ending in draws.
Sri Lanka’s last series victory against Pakistan came in the UAE in 2017, while Pakistan won their most recent encounter 2-0 in Sri Lanka in 2023.
The opening Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from November 9 to 13, with the second scheduled at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from November 17 to 21.
Babar said the senior members of the squad would have an important role in helping the younger players handle pressure and adjust to international cricket.
“All the youngsters have a spark and confidence. We seniors try to guide them and share our experience, especially in pressure situations. They believe in themselves because of their performances coming into the side,” he said.
For Pakistan, the series represents an opportunity to rebuild after a difficult WTC campaign while assessing the potential of a new generation of players.
Babar, meanwhile, will be expected to translate the team’s fresh approach into performances on the field, beginning with the opening Test in Rawalpindi.
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