Under intense fire, Pakistan hope to bounce back

Pakistan captain Shan Masood is upbeat as Pakistan prepares for a crucial three-match Test series against England, starting next week.

Pakistan have not won any of their last 10 home Tests since February 2021, including a recent 2-0 defeat by Bangladesh and a 3-0 loss in Australia.

"It's not acceptable for Pakistan to not win a home Test for that long and we accept the responsibility for that," said Masood at a press conference in Karachi on Monday. "As a cricketing nation we all are hurt right now."

Babar Azam finds backing

He remained optimistic that ace batter Babar Azam, who only managed 64 runs in two Tests against Bangladesh, would soon return to top form.

"We all know Babar is one of the top batters in the world and despite not scoring big runs the good thing is that he is not out of form, we have to back him," said Masood.

Babar Azam in action during the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.AFP

Babar has not scored a fifty in his last 16 Test innings since December 2022. England will arrive in Pakistan on October 2, with the first Test in Multan starting five days later.

The second Test will also be in Multan on October 15, followed by the final match in Rawalpindi on October 24.

"I assure you that everyone is eager to stage a comeback in this series and take Pakistan cricket in a good direction," said Masood.

Giving players consistent chances

The selection committee, including Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, has maintained trust in the squad that lost to Bangladesh, with only 37-year-old spinner Noman Ali recalled.

Masood emphasized the importance of backing the same players despite recent defeats, as making changes after a loss would not help the team move forward.

Gillespie echoed similar thoughts in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast last week. He wants to give players a chance to keep their place in the test team but he won’t wait forever.

“If performances are not at the required level over a prolonged period, we may consider making changes,” Gillespie told PCB podcast.

“What I’m learning is that the players understand my philosophy regarding selection,” Gillespie said. “We want to back and support players.”

Abdullah Shafique was cleaned up by a beauty from Taskin Ahmed during the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.AFP

Pakistan’s batting faltered against Bangladesh, with both Babar Azam and Shan Masood failing to capitalize on their starts, and opener Abdullah Shafique also struggled. Saim Ayub, a young left-handed opener, showed promise with two half-centuries but threw away his wicket after good starts.

Masood challenged the batting unit to improve their consistency.

"My challenge to the batting unit would be that against Bangladesh we batted well in the first innings, but how can we make that better," Masood said.

"How can we turn the second innings collapses into match-winning scores. We've got capable enough batsmen, that's why we're trying to back the same batting unit," he added.

Captaincy under threat

England previously swept Pakistan 3-0 when they toured in 2022. Masood is already feeling pressure, having lost his first five Tests as captain. He admitted that losing is tough, but he takes full accountability for the team’s performance, understanding that success would allow him to continue serving as captain, while failure would lead to consequences.

Shan Masood reacts to dropping Hasan Mahmud in the covers during the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.AFP

"For me, pressure is a thing of privilege because leading your country is a great honour but with it comes responsibility," said Masood, whose captaincy tenure runs until May 2025.

"If results are good then I will serve, if not then I will be punished. I don't run away from challenges and this coming series is also very challenging," he added.

Masood added the need for Pakistan to improve their physical and mental fitness if they want to compete as a top Test side.