Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has said that he is confident and better prepared as he takes charge of the Test side once again, adding that his focus will remain on discipline, fitness and performance.

“Whenever you get the opportunity to captain Pakistan, it is always an honour,” Babar said in an exclusive interview on Straight Drive with Salman Butt. “I have learnt a lot from my previous experience as captain and also from the time I played as a player. With time, you gain maturity and clarity. I am confident that this time, with good planning and a positive mindset, I will lead the team well.”

Reflecting on his earlier captaincy tenure, Babar said he had reviewed his decisions and tried to learn from the experience.

“As captain, you make good decisions and sometimes you feel you could have done better. When you sit down and reflect, you get a clearer picture. I have rebuilt my mindset, brought more clarity into it and taken things positively.”

Babar said Pakistan have a young squad, including several performers from domestic cricket and stressed the importance of backing players during difficult phases.

“This is a young team with some of the best performers from domestic cricket. As a senior player and captain, my job is to take performances from them, keep them relaxed and back them in difficult times. International cricket is a pressure game, so I try to take pressure off the youngsters by speaking to them on and off the field.”

Pakistan captain said his main focus areas for the team would be discipline, fitness and performance.

“My main focus is on three things: discipline, fitness and performance. These will matter a lot for me as captain and for the team going forward. Whenever I get the opportunity to lead, I always try to back the players, but I will not compromise on these three things.”

Looking ahead to the tours of West Indies and England, Babar said Pakistan had prepared keeping expected conditions in mind.

“We prepared according to the conditions we expect in the West Indies and England. The West Indies tour will be challenging, but we have prepared for it. In England, many of our players have county experience and understand the conditions, which will help us.”

Babar also spoke about his batting approach, saying he always tries to play according to the team’s requirement.

“Whenever I go out to bat, I do not think only about myself. I think about the responsibility and what the team requires from me. If the team needs me to play quickly in a Test match, I do that. If the situation requires defensive batting, I play that way. My focus is always on what is best for the team.”