LAHORE - Pakistan cricket team chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq has said Azhar Ali is the ODI captain of Pakistan and will continue to lead the team.

Talking to the reporters at a press conference held here at the Lahore Press Club on Friday, the former Pakistan captain made it clear that Azhar Ali would remain as the captain of ODI side which was currently being led by M Hafeez, who was a stand-in captain. “Azhar Ali is suffering from a hamstring injury which he got while playing in the first ODI against Aussies. He will lead the team again after gaining fitness.”

He said that he would soon sit with Pakistan Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq to discuss the team’s performance and future strategy. “Misbah has rendered great services for Pakistan and he is our most successful Test captain. I haven’t been able to talk to Misbah ever since, he returned home from Australia. But I will soon sit with him soon,” he added.

Inzamam remarks came in the Pakistan's dismal performance in the Test series against Australia. Misbah was especially under scrutiny for his captaincy. Former Australian player Ian Chappell blamed Misbah's captaincy for Pakistan's poor showing in the Test series.

Earlier after the defeat in first ODI against Australia in the ongoing series, former captain Ramiz Raja had also slammed the men in green for their fitness. Ramiz further said that the fitness levels of Australian and Pakistani players were not even comparable as the Australians were far superior in this regard. “Just one jersey would fit every Australian player but all our players have different sizes. This is due to lack of fitness which shows in their performance,” the chief selector said.

Inzamam also admitted that Pakistan team lacked fitness as compared to the rest of teams. “Our players lack the fitness level required to compete at international level and we need time to overcome these problems.”

He said that the players were not serious about their fitness and lack passion for it, adding that the fitness of players could be assessed just by looking at the shapes and sizes of the players. “We will also introduce a rotation policy for fast bowlers to keep them fresh and fit,” he added.

Inzamam also looked hopeful for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as he told that they were ready to host the PSL final in Lahore. “I am hopeful that the PCB will host the PSL final in Lahore in a successful manner and it will also help us revive international cricket in Pakistan.”