Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, revealed the team’s strategy for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting August 21 in Rawalpindi. The squad has opted for a four-man pace attack, aligning with expected conditions at the venue.
During a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Shan explained the logic behind this selection. He noted that Rawalpindi’s conditions historically favour seamers and batters, with spin playing a lesser role.
“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,” said Shan.
When asked about the decision to select Mohammad Ali over Mir Hamza, Shan emphasised the specific role each bowler plays.
“If you look in isolation, you can argue about why this particular bowler was preferred over another,” Shan explained. “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 concluded.
Pakistan’s playing XI:
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
