Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam, ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka starting on Monday, touched upon the thinking behind the team selected for the series, admitting that he did not have much of say in making the final selection decisions. However, he maintained that the squad was selected keeping in mind Pakistan’s next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Pakistan, on Saturday, made a few late changes to the Test squad, releasing Abdullah Fazal and Ali Usman from the side. Following their release, Pakistan brought in four players, three of whom are yet to make their international Test debuts. However, Babar said that his job is to get the best out of players.

"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," Babar said as quoted by Cricinfo.

Babar also shed light on his poor form, accepting the fact that he has not been performing well. The series against Sri Lanka is Pakistan’s first Test assignment since the 3-0 series defeat against England a few months back. 

"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," Babar said.