In these respects, the decision has been a resounding success. Since losing the first Test to England in October on a flat surface, Pakistan changed their mind about the type of surfaces they wanted to prepare. Particular attention has been focused on the measures they have taken to ensure that misrepresentation remains the most potent threat (possibly the only one).
Masood noted that the victories were not inevitable but a consequence of Pakistan playing the best cricket in all departments in every game. “If you look at the batsmen individually, it’s not a good read. But our batsmen batted better than the West Indies batsmen and better than the England batsmen in October. If you just look at hundreds and fifties and judge them by crude numbers, then will be misleading Just as we will have to be flexible with our style of play, the spectators will also need to be flexible in their thinking. Look at India’s plan and their averages at home and you will understand the point. “20 wickets is difficult. We have sacrificed individual milestones for team results.”
Masood’s comments indicate that Pakistan still has no plans to change what has been a successful strategy for them. While this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle has proven unhappy (they will finish second from bottom in the standings), they have, on paper, a much smoother draw in the next two-year cycle. It sees them play three two-Test series at home against South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and three away series against the West Indies, England and Bangladesh. Masood made it clear that they had their sights set on a last place in 2027 and that, if that happened, the path lay through “winning all our home games.”
“If you look at the batsmen individually, it’s not a good read. But our batsmen batted better than the West Indies batsmen and better than the England batsmen in October… Just as we will have to be flexible with our playing styles, the Viewers will also need to be flexible in their thinking.”
Shan Masood
He also dismissed any concerns about his fellow batsmen’s dissatisfaction with these playing conditions and allayed fears about the redundancy of Pakistan’s Test fast bowling. “We can’t pit our pitchers and hitters against each other,” he said. “The hardest thing to do here was bat and bowl fast. West Indies didn’t score 141 in any of their innings and yet we had a partnership. [Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan] do it. The mistake is that maybe we should have tried to create some partnerships around that big project. Performances are not just about scoring centuries; In some conditions, 10 to 20 extra runs can make a difference.
“If someone has to sacrifice there, like the fast bowlers or the batsmen, so be it. There will be oppositions where we feel we can set up friendly pitches. Then the fast bowlers will get a chance to get wickets like they did. spinners here. We need to work on how we can progress as a team. A WTC is a two year cycle, so the fast bowlers will come into it. We have away series in England and West Indies with the ball. Dukes. here, “We can prepare wickets that do not affect the seams. Generally speaking, no one’s role is diminished.”
Pakistan will not play another Test for nine months and has only two scheduled in the next 14 months. For Masood, this was the biggest concern and a situation he considered unacceptable.
“I have complained about this issue and raised it several times; a nation like Pakistan cannot simply play 4 or 5 Tests a year. This is something we as a nation must push for. A gap of ten months, and then, if coming to play in these conditions, it can be completely different. Our first-class season has probably just started at that point. These ten months are important, and I hope we have domestic and international cricket, and the test players we have. I hope we can take care of them in the next ten months. So they are ready for the series against South Africa in October.”
Ten months is a long time in cricket and as Masood knows very well, especially in Pakistan cricket. But in a nation where captains can live or die by the results their team produces, it is no surprise that Masood makes no apologies for a strategy that, for now, has given his team those victories, regardless of the optics that accompany them. .
Danyal Rasool is Pakistan correspondent for Pak Gazette. @danny61000
