Pakistan captain Shan Masood emphasized that he has not observed any signs of discord within the team during his leadership. He stressed the importance of maintaining stability, cautioning against the frequent alterations in the lineup that can disrupt team dynamics. Masood believes that consistent selection is crucial for building a cohesive unit, which is essential for the team’s success moving forward. By fostering unity and trust among players, he aims to guide Pakistan towards a more successful future in cricket.
Shan Masood Talked About Team Unity in the Press Conference:
During a press conference preceding Pakistan’s three-match Test series against England, Shan Masood expressed his confidence in Babar Azam, labeling him as “one of the best batters in the world.” He emphasized his belief in Azam’s ability to perform at a high level, asserting that the star batter is poised to deliver impactful performances in the upcoming matches, bolstering Pakistan’s chances for success.
He said, “ Every captain has their own style. I focus on keeping the environment in the dressing room well; that is my primary concern. I have never seen a lack of unity or effort by the boys. There are some cricketing aspects to how we need to improve, but I have no complaints regarding unity.”
He emphasized that players competing in longer formats deserve additional time to showcase their skills. This sentiment underscores the importance of patience and support for athletes as they navigate the challenges of the game, allowing them to develop and prove their worth in the longer format of cricket.
He further said, “ Babar Azam is among the world’s best batters. You have to give your players time, not just Babar Azam. Babar doesn’t look out of form, he’s getting starts. There was a 10-month gap between the Australia and Bangladesh Tests, which doesn’t help us. He played some long innings in the Champions [One-Day] Cup where he absorbed pressure and changed gears. That might help him in Tests now. He’s the team’s number one batter for sure.
He added, “ We have to give players a consistent chance and if and when we get Kamran Ghulam in the side, he should also get a long run instead of chopping and changing. We want to consistently back our players, and whoever comes in shouldn’t feel their spot is under threat from the first day.”
Shan Masood Talked About Other Players as Well:
Masood came to the defense of Abdullah Shafique, who has faced challenges over the past two years with the national team. Drawing on his own experiences, he advocated for giving struggling players more time to find their footing rather than making hasty decisions to drop them, highlighting the need for patience in their development.
He further said, “ Saim [Ayub] scored two 50s in the last two Tests, if we’d dropped him after the first Test, I’ve had that happen to me; it’s not nice. When I was out of the team for two years, I averaged over 60 in List A cricket, but Imam [ul-Haq-] and Fakhar [Zaman] were consistently performing. I didn’t complain that I wasn’t being selected, because I understood the level of competition was high. If the coach was backing the players, they were doing the right thing.
He added, “ If I’ve backed a player who ends up becoming a great servant for Pakistan cricket, and he ends up replacing me in the process, I won’t be upset. If I’m backing the right thing, I’ll sleep well at night.”
Masood Also Talked About Mohammad Hasnain:
In a tough few months for Pakistan, Mohammad Hasnain has emerged as a standout performer in the One-Day Cup. Having recently recovered from a prolonged ankle injury, he was named player of the tournament after claiming 17 wickets—seven more than the next-best bowler. His impressive pace has not diminished, catching the eye of the Pakistan Test captain.
He added, “ Hasnain was bowling really well and [was] a personal standout for me. If I’m selecting a team, my question to him would be you’re bowling really well, how well can you do in red-ball cricket?’ We should appreciate the skill of fast bowling in Test cricket. It’s the hardest skill and you need to be super fit to execute it so we should appreciate it.”
He concluded, “ Fast bowling exerts a huge amount of stress on the body, and wherever I’ve played Test cricket, fast bowlers’ workload is always managed. Injuries with fast bowlers are common so you have to continue building stocks of fast bowlers. Personally, what I’ve said to fast bowlers is they’ll play a huge role in taking 20 wickets. So we’ve set certain standards and protocols so our fast bowlers are the fittest players in our team. That’s the only way they’ll be able to bowl effective third and fourth spells, so that’s the standard we’re looking to set.”
Masood aims to turn around a challenging start to his captaincy, with Pakistan suffering a 3-0 series defeat in Australia followed by a home series loss to Bangladesh, where they lost both Tests. This period has been tough for several players, including Masood, who scored 286 runs in ten innings, and Babar, who managed only 190.
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