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LAHORE: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood praised his side’s resilience and collective effort after they defeated World Test Champions South Africa by 93 runs in the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
The win handed Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, marking a strong statement against one of the toughest red-ball sides in world cricket.
Reflecting on the hard-fought contest, Shan acknowledged South Africa’s fightback and credited his players for maintaining composure under pressure.
“There were a lot of challenges out in the middle. Credit to South Africa, they kept coming back, but we built enough margins to have the upper hand, and I’m glad we finished it off,” Shan said during the post-match presentation.
The skipper also touched upon Pakistan’s tactical approach on turning surfaces, emphasising the balance between spin and pace that proved decisive in Lahore.
“Historically, we have always played on such surfaces. Even when we’ve gone spin-heavy, we included a seamer or two because we want reverse swing to come into play,” he said.
“Test cricket is a collective effort. Sajid was unlucky with his injury, and Noman is Noman,” he remarked, applauding the left-arm spinner’s stellar display.
Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi were Pakistan’s heroes in the second innings, sharing eight wickets to bowl South Africa out for 183.
Concluding his remarks, Shan Masood hailed the victory as a significant milestone for the side.
“There are a lot of positives to draw from this game. It’s a great opportunity to play against the team that won the WTC, and we closed it out with a win today. Now, we look forward to the next one,” he said.
Pakistan will now head to Rawalpindi, where the second and final Test of the series will be played from October 20 to 24.
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