'This is an opportunity for me to leave a legacy' – Azhar Ali keen on Test captaincy

"There could be no greater honour," Azhar said after he was appointed as Pakistan's new Test captain on Friday, 19 October. "This is an opportunity for me to leave a legacy. The amount of cricket I have played for Pakistan, the next four-five years are very important for me both as a player and a captain."

Azhar said his focus would be on getting the desired results in the ICC Test Championship with a fearless approach and help Pakistan, who are currently placed at No.7 in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings, move up the ladder in the process.

"The Test Championship is coming up, and that's like a World Cup for Test cricket. Right now, we are No.7 in the rankings, so we have a fair distance to travel," he said. "The teams we'll play in the Test Championship will almost all be higher ranked than us. So there are many challenges, but it's also a great opportunity to play fearless, exciting cricket and get the desired results.

"I aim to bring players through under my captaincy that can serve Pakistan cricket for many years to come. This is what I mean by leaving my legacy. I want to transfer my experiences to them, and help them learn how to play fearless, positive cricket.

"So winning is very important, but building a positive culture is my top priority. As you know, I have prioritised Test cricket, because it is the best format of the game, and the format that sees the players' best skills come out. My priority will be to have my players focus on red-ball cricket because white-ball cricket will take care of itself."

Azhar also revealed that he had sought clarification from PCB on the tenure of his role, before being assigned the responsibility.

"I specifically asked whether my appointment will be short term or not," said the 34-year-old. "I got full support from the board that my appointment is not a short-term thing, which is why I accepted it. There's no set timeframe they've given me, but I've been assured there's enough time for me to prove myself and implement my own ideas on the team."

Pakistan will tour to Australia in less than two weeks time, where they play three T20Is, before their ICC Test Championship campaign gets underway with first of the two Tests in Brisbane, from 21 November.