Tag: Shan Masood

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hold a high-profile meeting and workshop to discuss the future of the national cricket team as well as all-format captaincy.

According to the sources, the meeting, dubbed the “Connection Camp” is likely to be held on September 22 and will be presided by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who will also attend the workshop.

The high-profile meeting will also feature the current head coaches of the Pakistan red-ball and white-ball teams, Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten respectively, accompanied by the heads of international, domestic, and high-performance departments while senior cricketers, coaches and PCB officials will also be in the attendance.

Notably, Kirsten had left for South Africa after submitting his report regarding the Pakistan cricket team’s performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 whereas Gillespie left for Australia after the conclusion of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh this week.

Details further suggested that the future of the current Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam will come under discussion and there is a chance that he may get removed from the position ahead of Pakistan’s tour to Australia later this year.

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Babar, who relinquished all-format captaincy following the national team’s dismal run at the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, was reinstated as white-ball captain in March this year.

He led Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 where the former champions suffered gut-wrenching defeats against United States of America (USA) and arch-rivals India, which eventually resulted in them failing to qualify for the Super Eights stage for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Meanwhile, Shan Masood’s captaincy as Pakistan Test captain has also come under scrutiny.

Remember, Shan, who was given the leadership of the Pakistan Test side in November 2023, is yet to lead the national team to a victory. He has lost five matches as Pakistan Test captain, three against Australia and two against Bangladesh.

READ: Ashwin sympathizes with Pakistan cricket after Bangladesh whitewash

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood on Tuesday, opened up on his alleged altercation with ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, stating there is no tension between the two cricketers.

During the opening Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh, a video of the national men’s team, standing in a huddle went viral on social media.

In the video, Shan Masood was seen placing his hand on Shaheen Afridi’s left shoulder. The pacer, however, quickly removed the captain’s hand, which triggered speculations among fans as they suspected a rift between the two players.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Test skipper Masood finally cleared the air regarding the incident and revealed that he mistakenly placed his hand on the pacer’s injured shoulder.

“I think, a [clip went viral] in which I placed my hand on Shaheen’s shoulder and he removed it. He wasn’t angry with me but was injured and was in pain,” shared Masood.

Shan Masood further revealed that Shaheen Afridi was experiencing pain in his shoulder due to a blow he sustained facing Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana.

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In the post-match press conference, Masood also acknowledged the team’s shortcomings in their recent 2-0 series defeat against Bangladesh and apologized to the nation.

“We apologize to the nation. Our common goal should be to work for the betterment of Pakistan cricket,” Masood said.

“We need more experienced players in the Test format. I am very grateful that the selectors and all of us look at the playing XIs and selectors through a democratic lens.”

Masood highlighted Bangladesh’s strengths that paved the way for their historic victory before acknowledging that the national players need to work on their fitness to excel in the longest format of the game.

“I think, we should respect the opposition. Every opposition has its own qualities and Bangladesh’s quality was their discipline, which was more than ours in both Test matches,” said Shan.

“We need to analyze our mistakes and we made a lot of mistakes in this series.

“Test cricket demands fitness, both mental and physical, and I think, that is something we need to work on.”

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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood acknowledged the team’s shortcomings in their recent 2-0 series defeat against Bangladesh.

Masood, while addressing the post-match press conference here on Tuesday, emphasized the need to work for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

“We apologize to the nation. Our common goal should be to work for the betterment of Pakistan cricket,” Masood said.

“We need more experienced players in the Test format. I am very grateful that the selectors and all of us look at the playing XIs and selectors through a democratic lens.”

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Shan Masood highlighted Bangladesh’s strengths that paved the way for their historic victory before acknowledging that the national players need to work on their fitness to excel in the longest format of the game.

“I think, we should respect the opposition. Every opposition has its own qualities and Bangladesh’s quality was their discipline, which was more than ours in both Test matches,” said Shan.

“We need to analyze our mistakes and we made a lot of mistakes in this series.

“Test cricket demands fitness, both mental and physical, and I think, that is something we need to work on.”

Shan Masood also shared that the reason behind going with an all-pace attack in the opening Test was made, considering the fitness level of the pacers.

“The reason behind playing four pacers in the first Test was also due to fitness because we thought going with three pacers would put them under immense load. And then when we went with three pacers in the second Test, unfortunately, we lost a pacer in each of the innings.”

READ: Bhogle comments on Pakistan’s “embarrassing” defeat against Bangladesh

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood revealed the primary reason that led to the national team’s first-ever series defeat against Bangladesh.

Masood addressed the post-match press conference after his team’s six-wicket defeat in the second Test of the two-match series that culminated at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

He highlighted Bangladesh’s strengths that paved the way for their historic victory before acknowledging that the national players need to work on their fitness to excel in the longest format of the game.

“I think, we should respect the opposition. Every opposition has its own qualities and Bangladesh’s quality was their discipline, which was more than ours in both Test matches,” said Shan.

“We need to analyze our mistakes and we made a lot of mistakes in this series.

“Test cricket demands fitness, both mental and physical, and I think, that is something we need to work on.”

Shan Masood also shared that the reason behind going with an all-pace attack in the opening Test was made, considering the fitness level of the pacers.

“The reason behind playing four pacers in the first Test was also due to fitness because we thought going with three pacers would put them under immense load. And then when we went with three pacers in the second Test, unfortunately, we lost a pacer in each of the innings.”

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Shan Masood further emphasized the need to address Pakistan’s long-going vulnerability under pressure in the second innings of a Test match.

“In the batting and bowling department, there’s a story which I think has been going on since when I wasn’t a part of the side either, which is that whenever we are put under pressure in the second innings of a Test match, we collapse,” said Shan.

Masood also mentioned the positive side for the Pakistan Test side in their recently-concluded two-match series against Bangladesh.

“If you look at the first innings of both Test matches, each time we lost the toss, there was something in the pitch and yet we scored 448 [runs] in the first match and in the second match, we scored 274 on such a pitch where they [Bangladesh] were six down for 26. That was the reflection of the pitch and on that pitch, we scored 274 while batting first,” stated Shan.

“The positive signs were that we had good starts in both batting and bowling but by the course of four to five days, it all comes down on your fitness level [to carry on the momentum]. So, once again, I would say, we need to work on our fitness.”

READ: Bhogle comments on Pakistan’s “embarrassing” defeat against Bangladesh

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie has backed Shan Masood as captain despite the humiliating series loss against Bangladesh.

The visitors defeated Pakistan by six wickets in the second Test match to complete the clean sweep and win their first-ever series against the Green Shirts.

Pakistan dropped pace bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah from the line-up for the second Test and Gillespie defended the decision, calling it a strategic call considering the conditions.

“We felt that the attack we put on the park would be able to do the job. We could argue they did when we had the opposition 26/6 but they [Bangladesh] fought themselves back into the game,” said Gillespie.

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“We looked at the conditions, saw the surface here, and thought this was the best make-up of the bowling attack to take wickets on this surface,” he added.

Jason Gillespie also threw his weight behind Shan Masood, however, he acknowledged that the team failed to perform as a unit.

“Shan I feel has led the side very well. We just haven’t played well as a team and that’s the reality,” he stated. “We need to sharpen up on certain areas, and we will sharpen up.”

“I really want to back and believe in these players, they are good enough and have shown glimpses of how good we are. We just need to do it more often and consistently,” he added.

READ: Zaka Ashraf refutes rumours of rift between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Shan Masood justified the decision to field four fast bowlers after losing the first Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh here on Sunday.

The home team played the first Test with an all-pace attack which featured Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad and Mohammad Ali.

However, Pakistan’s pace bowlers struggled during the match as Bangladesh piled up a mammoth 565 in the first innings.

The decision to field four pacers was further criticized when Bangladesh spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan dominated the final day and claimed seven wickets to bundle Pakistan for a meagre 146 in the second innings.

However, in the post-match press conference, Shan Masood defended the decision as the team expected more assistance from the pitch.

“Looking at the pitch, we expected it to do more. If we played 3 fast bowlers, we would be pushing them to the limit and the spinner would be bowling 25-30 overs a day, which we wanted to avoid,” he said.

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Shan Masood also explained the reason for not including a front-line spinner in the playing XI.

“There’s always room for a spinner but you have to look at the whole XI. We lost Aamir Jamal who offers something with both bat & ball so we had to play 4 all-out seamers,” he added.

“When we played in Sydney and we thought we needed a front-line spinner, Sajid Khan played there. We’ll assess the pitch & conditions and see the best team we can play.”

The Pakistan captain was also asked about the decision to declare the first innings at 448-6, denying Mohammad Rizwan his first double-century.

“The reason for the declaration was a positive push – to push the game forward and hopefully have a crack at them in the 4th innings,” Shan answered.

“We could have done with those runs but there were also things with the ball and in the field that we could’ve done better to either take a lead or keep them at par.”

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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood on Tuesday, broke silence on left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq’s future in Test cricket.

Imam, who was a regular part of Pakistan’s Test side since their tour to Australia in late 2023, was left out of the Pakistan squad for the two-match home series against Bangladesh, starting Wednesday.

The left-handed opener was replaced by batting prodigy Saim Ayub with another youngster Mohammad Huraira another contender for the opening slot.

Meanwhile, Shan Masood, while addressing the pre-series press conference here emphasized Imam-ul-Haq being still part of the team’s plans and also that the opener was “rested” for the Bangladesh series.

“Imam-ul-Haq is part of the plan but not part of the squad,” Shan Masood responded to a question about the squad selection.

“Imam-ul-Haq has been rested for the Bangladesh series.”

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Shan Masood further responded to queries regarding Pakistan’s Playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh which included Saim Ayub over Huraira and Mohammad Ali over Mir Hamza.

He insisted that it can not be said if one bowler is better than the other but that the decisions were made considering the conditions.

“Mohammad Huraira has been scoring runs in domestic cricket for the past three or four years,” he said.

“We chose Mohammad Ali because of the surprise element we witnessed in the Pakistan Super League (PSL),” the left-handed batter said.

“Saim played well in the second innings of the Sydney Test. He seems to be in good form and should be given consistent opportunities.”

Pakistan’s Playing XI for the first Bangladesh Test: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali.

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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has revealed the reason behind dropping pace bowler Mir Hamza from the Playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh.

The first of the two-match Test series is set to commence tomorrow at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and Shan Masood-led Pakistan will go with an all-pace attack.

The team management decided to include Mohammad Ali instead of Mir Hamza as the fourth fast bowler, alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Khurram Shehzad.

The skipper provided insight into the decision to leave out Mir during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

He rejected the idea that Ali is considered a better bowler, instead highlighting the impact of playing conditions and the overall team composition as the basis for Mir’s omission.

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“We considered who could best support Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, who will hopefully take the new ball tomorrow. We believe Mohammad Ali is well-suited for this role,” Shan explained.

“He [Ali] hits the deck hard, can move the ball in the air with the seam, and has that extra pace. It’s not about one bowler being better than another, but rather about who fits the conditions best,” he added.

The first Test against Bangladesh marks only the second instance when Pakistan will field an all-pace attack in a home Test in 28 years.

The last time Pakistan went with an all-pace attack was at the same venue in 2019 against Sri Lanka.

The two-match series part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) will run from August 21 to September 4 with both matches to be played at the same venue.

The second match of the series, however, was originally scheduled to take place at National Stadium, Karachi.

However, owing to the renovation work currently underway at the venue, the PCB, in consultation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided to shift the match to Rawalpindi.

Pakistan’s Playing XI for the first Bangladesh Test: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali.

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Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali offered a piece of advice to Test captain Shan Masood ahead of the two-match home series against Bangladesh.

The two-match series, part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), will run from August 21 to September 3 at Rawalpindi and Karachi respectively.

The series against Bangladesh will mark Shan Masood’s second assignment as Pakistan captain, having previously led the national team away in Australia.

His start to Pakistan’s Test captaincy was far from ideal as the national team succumbed to a 0-3 series whitewash.

Meanwhile, Basit Ali, on his YouTube channel, shared his insights on the upcoming series and advised Shan Masood to change his batting order.

“Shan Masood sahab, stop playing at No. 3. When I saw you for the first time, I gave you the advice that the bat’s length should be long. Today, I am giving you the advice to stop playing at No. 3. You should open the batting in all three formats. If you come at No. 3, you will harm yourself and Pakistan,” Basit Ali said.

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Basit Ali then went on to criticize Shan Masood for giving examples from his time with Yorkshire ahead of leading his team in a crucial series.

“He gave an example of Yorkshire in his press conference. He spoke about how rain is a factor there, and Joe Root and Harry Brook are also part of that team. I just want to say two things to Shan Masood. You are the captain of Pakistan, not Yorkshire,” Basit said.

“Do not give their example; give examples of players of your country. Speak about how you have players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah. Give your example. Don’t give the example of the Kookaburra ball because there is a big difference in our pitches and their [England’s] pitches.”

READ: Arshad Nadeem shares he received offers to represent UK, Turkiye

Pakistan Test captain, Shan Masood, has expressed his aspiration to emulate the success of Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem and bring happiness to the nation.

Nadeem rose to fame recently with his ground-breaking performance in the Javelin Throw final of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.

The star athlete turned heads with a massive 92.97m throw in his second attempt to set the all-time Olympic record. His astounding effort eventually paved his way to the Olympic gold.

Arshad Nadeem with his 92.97m throw ended Pakistan’s 32-year Olympic medal drought and became the first individual from the country to win the Gold.

Shan Masood, during a press conference in Rawalpindi, acknowledged Arshad Nadeem as a national hero and shared his aim of bringing similar happiness to the country.

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“Arshad Nadeem has always been a national hero, and with his recent achievement [Olympic victory], he has taken a significant step forward. We are all extremely happy with his victory,” Shan stated.

“Whenever we play cricket for Pakistan, the country always comes first for us. Representing Pakistan on any stage or at any level is a privilege. Whoever plays for Pakistan strives to bring victory to the country.

“Winning and losing are part of the game, but when the team loses, it hurts us the most. As a team, we aim to bring the same joy to our nation that Arshad Nadeem has brought.”

The Pakistan cricket team has come under heavy criticism recently due to their inability to advance past the group stage in both the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The Green Shirts have not been able to win any ICC trophy since 2017 when they defeated arch-rivals India in the final to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed.

READ: Tayyab Tahir’s heroics in vain as Melbourne Stars edge past Pakistan Shaheens