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Shan Masood, the captain of Pakistan, hasn’t done much to defend his team’s performances during the Test series against Bangladesh. He highlighted the need for Pakistan to play more red-ball and Test cricket, advocated for long-term remedies beyond cosmetic adjustments, and acknowledged that his team often “keeps making the same mistakes” in the wake of the shocking 2-0 loss at home.
“In the batting department, and not just in this series, we need to improve in the second innings,” Masood said. “We tend to collapse quite frequently. We did well in each first innings, losing both tosses when there was weather around. We scored 448 and declared, and then 274, and when we reduced them to 26 for 6, that was a reflection of the pitch. That was the pitch we batted on and scored 274. We started well with ball and bat, but over four or five days, you need to be mentally tough throughout to make it count.”
Not only is Pakistan’s propensity to unravel when games become close problematic during Masood’s tenure, but it has been even more apparent in the last five Test matches. Pakistan started the game in Melbourne and Sydney in a strong position, but they let it get out of control and allowed circumstances to fall from which Bangladesh had to break records to recover.
Bangladesh’s 262 in the second Test is the best score for a team that lost its first six wickets under 50 runs. The first Test in Rawalpindi marked just the third time in history when a side declaring their first innings with six or fewer wickets down went on to lose. Few people anticipated that Bangladesh’s comeback, helped by Pakistan’s top bowlers becoming injured and their misfiring with the bat, would culminate in a 2-0 victory.
Masood praised Bangladesh’s “discipline”, and said their Test experience demonstrated the value of regular red-ball cricket.
“Bangladesh have two players who have played 70-90 Tests (Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahman), and Litton [Das] and Mehidy [Hasan Miraz] have played close to 40. We need the same level of red-ball exposure. Test cricket is the ultimate format of the game. You need experience. It’s obvious we need more Test and red-ball cricket. Whatever format you play is the format for which you’ll produce players. You can’t play more T20 cricket and get Test players. You can’t prepare for science and then sit a maths exam. If you’re being tested for maths, you study maths. To play red-ball cricket, you must play red-ball cricket.
“We have to respect the opposition and Bangladesh’s discipline was superior to ours in both Tests. We have to look at ourselves and the kinds of mistakes we made this series, and we made plenty. Test cricket, in terms of fitness, whether mental or physical, lasts for four or five days. What we’ve shown this series is that’s something we need to work on.”
Red-ball cricket provides Pakistan’s players with almost little opportunity to practice ahead of future Test matches. The majority of this team will compete in the 50-over format of the recently established Champions Cup from September 12 to September 29, following which they will almost immediately begin a three-Test series against England at home. It is unlikely that the issues with limited red-ball cricket would be resolved very soon because the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s biggest first-class competition, is scheduled to take place during that series.
Masood’s staccato career of 35 Tests in 11 years is an example of how administrators and selectors in Pakistani cricket are not known for their patience. He has played in the sport long enough to know this. Though he was only named captain five Tests prior, he acknowledges that he wasn’t the team’s first pick and is proving his leadership abilities as much as his position in the lineup. He is aware of how quickly the walls can close in, having become the first skipper of Pakistan to lose his opening five Test matches and averaging 28.60 in ten innings.
“I am not worried for my job security,” he said. “I took this job to make the changes we believe will help this team. If I believe this team can go in a certain direction, even if my personal failure takes Pakistan to that direction, I will be content. However much time I get I’ll be grateful for and do my best.”