I try to perform in every game: Babar Azam claims his performance improved after captaincy

Pakistan captain Babar Azam feels that captaincy has positively impacted his performances as a batter and he is able to perform better while being the skipper of the side. Babar also went on to say that since p[eople’s expectation has increased, the results of the team are not showing initially but in long run, it will. 

"From the time I've become captain, the margin of error is less and the expectations have also increased,” the 26-year-old said in a pre-series virtual press conference ahead of the start of the four-match T20I series against West Indies.

“I try to perform in every match. Since the time I've become captain, my performances have improved as well. I take it as a challenge. Hopefully, I can carry on and I can improve even more,” he added. 

Although the team has lost the T20I series 2-0 against England and was beaten 3-0 by second string English side in ODIs, Babar’s performances ever since becoming the captain has indeed improved in the white-ball formats.

While in nine ODIs as a skipper he averages 78.25, his average as a non-captain player in the ODIs was 54.17. In the T20Is, the improvement is not there in the average but his strike rate for which he was always criticised has definitely improved. 

In 24 matches, Babar has scored 863 runs at an average of 43.15 and a strike rate of 137.4. While when he was batting just as a player, he had scored 1290 runs at 49.61, but his strike rate was only 126.59.

The four-match T20I series against the defending World Champions West Indies begins on July 28 and Babr feels that the management will back its players to come good.