Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood on Wednesday exuded unwavering confidence in his team, citing strength in the presence of other format captains for the upcoming test series in Australia.
Masood, 34, took the reins after Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy across all formats post the World Cup debacle, expressing optimism for a transformative tour Down Under.
Speaking at a news conference in Lahore ahead of the team’s departure, Masood underscored his belief in the team’s resilience, especially rallying behind his predecessor, Babar Azam.
“The team’s batting will revolve around him,” Masood affirmed, anticipating a stellar performance from Babar in the challenging Australian conditions.
Pakistan has never clinched a Test series in Australia in their 12 tours, suffering defeats in the last 14 consecutive five-day encounters. However, Masood sees this as an opportunity to rewrite history.
“When you have not achieved something in history, then you have an opportunity to change it,” he declared, emphasizing the team’s commitment to producing positive results for Pakistan and the World Test Championship.
Pakistan currently leads the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, having secured victories in both Tests against Sri Lanka. Despite their top position, Masood acknowledged the formidable competition from Australia, the reigning champions of the previous cycle and recent 50-over World Cup victors.
As the Test series looms with the first match scheduled in Perth on December 14, followed by contests in Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7), Masood outlined the strategic imperative for success. “We need to score 400 and then take 20 wickets. That is the goal,” he stated, pinpointing the critical areas for improvement based on the previous tour’s lessons.
Anticipating Australia’s confidence, Masood emphasized the necessity for his team to believe in their ability to perform well. He expressed the importance of each player contributing to create challenging situations for the formidable Australian side.
Masood also highlighted the meticulous preparations undertaken by the Pakistani squad, including a training camp in Rawalpindi with a bouncy pitch to simulate Australian conditions. Additionally, he praised the appointment of former England skipper Adam Hollioake as the team’s new batting coach, citing his expertise in Australian conditions as a valuable asset for the squad.
