Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood has expressed his determination to win the upcoming two-match ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series against the West Indies 2-0.
Shan Masood, who has captained Pakistan in 10 Test matches, shared his plans while speaking on Geo News’ programme “Score”.
The left-handed batter said he felt immense regret after almost winning the first Test in Centurion against South Africa, only to lose in the end.
He added, “But this isn’t the first time this has happened to us. Our team has lost matches from strong positions against Australia and Bangladesh as well.”
When asked about the 205-run opening partnership with Babar Azam in the second innings of the Cape Town Test, Masood remarked that if the middle order had shown more resistance, Pakistan could have set South Africa a big target for victory.
He emphasised the importance of always looking forward. “Now, we will come up with a strategy involving spinners against the West Indies on home soil,” he said. Discussing the victory over England, the captain mentioned that Pakistan would again rely on spinners in Multan. “We hope to continue the winning momentum from the England series,” he added.
The 35-year-old, who has scored 2,300 runs with six centuries in 76 innings of 40 Tests for Pakistan, expressed confidence that the national team would be successful in defeating the West Indies 2-0 in the upcoming series.
New spin coach
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has roped in former Test spinner Abdur Rehman as the spin bowling coach of the national men’s team.
The left-arm orthodox spinner’s first assignment in the role will be the upcoming two-match home Test series against West Indies, scheduled to run from January 17 to 29 in Multan.
As a result, the 44-year-old, who took 140 international wickets across formats for Pakistan between 2006 and 2014, has joined the national team in Multan, which features three spinners – Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Abrar Ahmed.
Before this, Abdur Rehman was part of the coaching staff for the Pakistan women’s cricket team. This will be his first experience as a spin bowling coach with the national men’s team.
Remember, the team management is planning to curate spin-friendly pitches for the upcoming series, a move aimed at exploiting the home conditions.
As a result, head curator Tony Hemming, renowned for his innovative approach, has introduced the “greenhouse concept” to ensure optimal pitch conditions.
This new method involves covering the pitch entirely and installing heaters on both inner sides of the covers to retain heat and prevent moisture caused by Multan’s foggy weather.
Hemming’s greenhouse idea has been in development for some time and is designed to keep the pitch dry and firm.
By preventing moisture dissipation, the approach aims to create consistent playing surfaces that favour spinners.
Pakistan squad for the West Indies Tests: Shan Masood (C), Saud Shakeel (VC), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (WK), Sajid Khan, and Salman Ali Agha.
Series schedule:
First Test: January 17-21, Multan Cricket Stadium
Second Test: January 25-29, Multan Cricket Stadium.
