Despite playing in Pakistan, England were firm favourites in the Test series as Pakistan had faced defeats in recent times at home. But they bounced back well and won the series as well.
After the win, Shan Masood said, “This is a team game and we should appreciate the fact that our batting unit has made a sacrifice for the bowlers to take 20 wickets. We played Bangladesh on seam-friendly pitches and England in these conditions so we can take 20 wickets. In such conditions, the responsibility of the batting unit is to set matches for the bowlers and it may result in low scores. Yesterday, Rizwan and I played uncharacteristic innings as we batted for 50 and 70 balls, respectively, but those 120 balls made the job easier for Saud, Sajid, and Noman. So this is a team game.”
“Day before yesterday, the 35-run partnership between Abdullah and Saim was beneficial for the team,” Shan continued. “We always look at individual performances from the perspective of how they have helped the team. It is very easy to say that someone has not performed or have not led from the front, but we should rather look at what he has done for the team. We got characters in the last two games who have contributed for the team in the field, with the bat, and with the ball.”
“Saim and Abdullah are the future of Pakistan cricket. The openers have had lesser returns since the beginning of the World Test Championship – it is a fact. So unless we develop our players, we will continue to chop and change. Pakistan team needs stability at the moment. But when we think that changes are necessary to put the team on a winning track, we will make them, as we did after the first Test,” he again shared.
Shan Masood also praised his team for adapting to the new template that the new members of the selection committee – Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, and Azhar Ali – had enforced upon the team as well. Meanwhile, the Pakistan skipper had also said in a media conference in Karachi that Pakistan felt more at home by emulating Australia like seam-friendly surfaces as well.
“We should appreciate the fact that despite playing in these conditions for the first time at home, we responded better than the opposition,” he said. “We have to develop an all-round team that can produce result in any condition…You will need to adapt to conditions around the world to be a top Test side. There are three series each home and away in the world Test championship.”
“So you will have to score runs and take 20 wickets in different conditions. I don’t think we have a ground in Pakistan where such conditions were produced before [in domestic cricket]. There are grounds in Karachi and the main stadium in Faisalabad where we get conditions close to what we got here in Rawalpindi. But, it is important that we identify characteristics of each our venues and play certain oppositions at certain venues and prepare accordingly,” he again shared.
However, these last two Tests were also the first wins for Shan Masood as the Pakistan captain. And, he also shared how does the captain feel finally winning a Test series as well.
“It was never about my name being at the door,” he said. “It is about the responsibility that comes with wearing this star. I had used the word “hurt” as we had lost six Tests on trot since I had taken over. I feel we did not build on some good things that we did in Australia. At the end of the day, Pakistan cricket needs to progress and that should be our aim whether it is the media, cricketers, the cricket board or the fans. Obviously, that was not happening and it was painful.”
“But considering how the management, selectors, and the team has responded amidst all the chaos, it reflects their character. We all should be a little sympathetic towards each other in tough times and try to find solutions. Being a captain is a responsibility and this bigger responsibility comprises many smaller responsibilities. You have to make the right calls when it comes to selection and do justice in everything that you do. It always hurts when our country loses whether as a player or captain and that is why I was hurting. Captaining your country is a great honour and I don’t think anyone can get any honour bigger than this,” he further added.
However, Pakistan’s next Test assignment is a two-match Test series in South Africa that begins with the Boxing Day Test at Centurion. That tour will bring a different set of challenges for them as well.
“The Australia series can give the guys some good challenges into bouncier conditions in South Africa. The side that Australia have named are a lot of the batters from the Test side, too. We have been to SA in 2019 where a lot of these current players for Pakistan have been there. The challenge is completely different, but for us it is about making sure we pick 20 wickets and back it up with the bat by scoring the required runs,” he concluded.
