Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has opened up about the strategy of his side in the red-ball cricket going forward.
Shan Masood-led side is scheduled to play a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, as part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025.
Currently, Pakistan are ranked fifth in the WTC points table. They are set to play nine Test matches in the current cycle.
The series against Bangladesh will be followed by three home Tests against England. Pakistan will then visit South Africa for two matches before returning home to play two games against West Indies.
Shan Masood, while addressing a news conference, shared that his side is aiming to play with positive intent to win matches, which will help them improve their standing in the WTC.
“If we need to compete in the World Test Championship, we need to secure victories, which requires showing intent and positivity in every aspect of the game, whether it’s batting, bowling, or fielding,” Masood said.
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“Our focus will be on achieving the best results for Pakistan. We need to win a significant number of the nine upcoming Test matches,” he added.
The captain also highlighted the advantages that work in his team’s favour as they prepare for a packed Test schedule. Despite changes in management, the core players remain the same, which contributes to team stability.
Additionally, he emphasized that Pakistan will have the home advantage in seven out of nine games, which is a significant positive for the team.
“There have been changes in the management, however, the squad is almost the same,” Shan stated. “We have worked on changing the mindset to play according to the situation.”
“The positive thing is that we are playing at home and our players will be familiar with the conditions. We need to take advantage of it, but the key will be to handle mental and physical pressure,” he concluded.
The first Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to be played from 21 to 25 August in Rawalpindi, while the second match will be played from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.
Pakistan squad for Test series against Bangladesh
Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi
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