In A Song of Ice and Fire series of books, the iron throne is far more menacing than the version blunted by budgetary constraints in theGame of Thrones TV show. Standing at 40 feet, the seat can only be reached by a flight of stairs, and because it is forged by a thousand swords, it is so dangerously sharp and unforgiving that the one who rules can never rest on it comfortably.

I can only imagine that if there is a job in cricket that deserves such a throne, it is for the skipper of the Pakistan cricket team, who currently happens to be Azhar Ali; and who – after Pakistan lost a side game to a Cricket Board XI – had to experience a thorough outclassingof a young team he was captaining for the first time.

Also read: Pakistan's loss hardly a shock

Although Bangladesh played superbly, to be the first Pakistani skipper to lose to them in 16 years is certainly not a proud moment for him.

Azhar Ali shows he has what it takes

There was plenty of criticism directed at Azhar Ali, the cricket board, and former ODI captain Misbah-ul-Haq and coach Waqar Younis (who both recommended him) by fans the moment Azhar Ali was announced as Misbah's successor.

Like others, I found it incredible that a player who had struggled to meet the strike rate standards of modern limited overs cricket and had not played ODIs in years; was put in charge of players like Sarfraz Ahmed, who not only boasted better records as leaders and players, but were also senior to Azhar in terms of experience.

Many critics felt that Azhar Ali was a mini-Misbah, carrying the very weaknesses that had prevented Misbah from reaching the same heights in ODI cricket as he had in Test matches.

Azhar Ali plays a shot.—AFP

Azhar reacted to these concerns more positively than many would have expected. In an interview, the new skipper responded to these concerns pragmatically and in a mature, cool-headed manner. He agreed that his strike rate was low, and promised that it would improve.

It was refreshing to note that a Pakistani skipper was willing to improve his playing style for the greater good of the team.

As the cliché goes, actions speak louder than words, and in his first international game as in charge, Azhar’s bat spoke quite vocally.

In that regard, two things were most impressive: Firstly, that he took the responsibility of facing the first ball. That showed he meant business, and as it turned out, his 72 off 73 balls was not bad for business at all.

Secondly, Azhar showed against Bangladesh that he was capable of rotating the strike. We know that as an ODI batsman, a water tight defense and an excellent technique go only so far if one is not able to score freely. And in a team where most batsmen only operate on first or fifth gear, it is vital that the captain can at the very least keep the score ticking.

Azhar did that and played some marvelous off-drives on the back foot. More importantly, he wants to improve without going overboard.

As it happens, the inadequacy of Pakistan’s domestic cricket system means our players have to get most of their training and fitness when playing at the international level. The way yesterday's Azhar