Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, supports the team’s choice to use only fast bowlers against Bangladesh in the first Test match. He said this decision was based on studying the outcomes of local matches played at the same location.
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah will be the main fast bowlers for Pakistan, with Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali joining them. Salman Ali Agha, who can both bat and bowl, is the only player who can bowl spin in the team for the first Test.
“In Rawalpindi, when we play local cricket, the pitches usually help fast bowlers and batters. Spin bowling isn’t a major concern. So, we plan to continue with what works for us in domestic cricket instead of trying something new that we don’t often encounter in Rawalpindi,” Masood explained during a press conference on Tuesday.
The middle-order batter also discussed the decision to pick Mohammad Ali instead of Mir Hamza.
“On its own, you might wonder why one bowler was chosen over another. We thought about who could best support Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, who are likely to start with the new ball tomorrow. We think Mohammad Ali is a good fit for this job. He bowls hard, can make the ball move in the air with his seam, and has extra speed. It’s not about one bowler being superior to another, but about who matches the conditions best,” he further explained.
The 34-year-old player is optimistic about participating in the World Test Championship final and stressed the importance of enhancing their performance in the upcoming games of the series. Pakistan is currently in sixth place in the rankings, having won two and lost three out of five Test matches so far. India is leading the rankings, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and South Africa in the top five positions.
“For us, we need to consider our standing in the World Test Championship. We were in sixth and seventh place before. We definitely want to play in the final this time. To do that, we must win our home Test matches. To win those, we need to consistently take 20 wickets. And of course, our batters need to score enough runs to give our bowlers the time they need to take those 20 wickets,” Masood explained.
“I believe the key is to play enjoyable and thrilling cricket. We all want Test cricket to be entertaining, both for the audience and for us players. When we play Test cricket, we aim to be enthusiastic about it, just as we are in any other format. Our goal is to achieve good results while also playing a style of cricket that is consistently engaging for everyone,” he said.
The series’ opening Test match will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali.
