Azam relishing opportunity to lead Pakistan in T20 World Cup
This will also be Azam's first T20 World Cup as a player after a forearm injury ruled him out of the previous edition in 2016.
Pakistan have excelled under his captaincy, winning four of their past five series, and they will be hoping they can ride that momentum all the way to the T20 World Cup trophy.
"We are getting closer to the World Cup and like other teams, we too are experimenting with our team combinations," said Azam. "We hope that we gel well heading into the World Cup and hopefully, we can perform well."
Pakistan will begin their World Cup campaign against India on 24 October and will play all their group stage fixtures in Dubai and Sharjah. Having played 36 T20Is in UAE, the most by any team in the world, they will be looking to use their familiarity with the venues to their advantage.
"The conditions in UAE will be like home to us as we have played a lot of games there. We are well aware of the conditions and we will try to use that to our advantage in the World Cup to play good cricket.
"The boys are excited about the mega event and eager to perform well on a world stage where all eyes are on you. As a captain, I am trying to instil confidence in the team and we are looking forward to doing well in the World Cup."
Ranked second in the ICC T20I rankings for batsmen, Azam has been the cornerstone of Pakistan's batting since he made his debut in the shortest form of the game in September 2016. Despite the added burden that comes with the captaincy, Azam considers it an honour to lead his country in a World Cup.
"You start to play cricket for the star on the Pakistan jersey. When you make your way up to the national team and get the opportunity to captain your country, it is a matter of pride. I am enjoying this phase and taking things positively in spite of the pressure and responsibility that come with it.
"It is an honour to captain Pakistan in an ICC event. At the same time, I am excited and looking to lead the team from the front at the big stage."