Take every match as new to remain focused, Babar tells women players.

Byline: Azhar Khan

LAHORE -- Pakistan T20I captain Babar Azam has advised the women players to take every match as a new match and remain focused on the task at hand.

Babar said this during a PCB-organised virtual talk with total 15 international and emerging batters to help them remain focused on cricket during the Covid-19 lockdown across the country.

'Take every match as a new match and ignore your achievements or failures of the past matches to remain focused on the task at hand. I watch even those innings of mine, where I have scored centuries, not to gloat, but to identify where I could have done better. It is very important that we stay away from complacency,' said 25-year-old Babar.

The T20I skipper, who is ranked No 1 in T20I cricket while third and fifth in ODI and Test formats respectively, said: 'Developing a positive attitude in the buildup of a match is the key for better performances while practicing on the balls where I struggled rather than staying in the comfort zone has helped me become a better batsman. I am unable to perform 99 percent of the times, when I have a negative thought in my mind that I may fail.

'It is very important that you don't change your batting approach altogether because of a failure in one innings. But, try to identify how you could have done better. I watch all the top batsmen in the world to understand their batting approach in different situations as it helps me understand the game better,' he added.

Babar also revealed that how he remains focused under pressure and laid emphasis that valuing one's own wicket translates into becoming better at batting. 'There's a lot going on when you are at the crease. In that situation, it is better to talk to yourself and it is something that I do not only in a match but during practice as well.'

Speaking on maintaining consistency in results, Babar said that he had set some particular goals for himself...