PAK vs BAN 1st Test: Shan Masood explains the decision to opt for all-pace attack in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has backed the team’s decision to opt for an all-pace attack against Bangladesh in the first Test here and explained that the move was made after analyzing the results of domestic games played on the venue.

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah will lead Pakistan’s bowling attack with Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali to complete the pace quartet. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha is the sole spin-bowling option in the playing 11 for the opening Test.

“In Rawalpindi, whenever we have played domestic cricket, the conditions have favoured the seamers and the batters. Spin-bowling hasn’t been such a big threat. So, we want to take what we do in domestic cricket forward rather than applying something new, which we don’t normally get in Rawalpindi,” Masood said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

The middle-order batter shared the thought process behind Mohammad Ali’s selection over Mir Hamza.

“If you look in isolation, you can argue about why this particular bowler was preferred over another. 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. He 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 34-year-old is hopeful of playing the World Test Championship final and emphasized improving their performance in the remaining matches of the series. Pakistan are currently placed sixth in the standings after two wins and three losses in five Tests so far. India lead the standings followed by Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa in the top five spots.

“And for us again, we have to look at our position in the World Test Championship. Yes, it was sixth and seventh before. Yes, we would like to obviously play the final this time. So if you want to play in the final, we have to win our home Test matches. If we have to win that, we have to take 20 wickets consistently. And obviously, our batters should score enough and give the bowlers time to take those 20 wickets,” Masood said.

“I feel it’s about playing good and exciting cricket. Look, we all want Test cricket to be fun, Test cricket to be enjoyable, both for the fans and for us players. When we play Test cricket, we want to be excited about it and bring the same enthusiasm we do in any format. Our challenge is to get the right results, and also play a brand of cricket that is consistent and exciting to everyone,” he added.

The first Test of the series will be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali.

–IANS