Pakistan’s first series under new Test captain Shan Masood is an away tour of Australia, where Pakistan have a wretched recent record – will a new approach yield new results?
“Test cricket has changed,” asserts the new Pakistan captain Shan Masood. “As a batting unit our scoring rate has to improve and we need to be equipped and determined to take 20 wickets. These are the basics of Test matches. We will try and do our best to do these things properly. We have spoken together as a team to play with a positive mindset and an aggressive mindset. Whenever we get an opportunity to put the opposition under pressure, we will look to jump on it.”
There are few jobs in cricket as demanding as that of Pakistan Test captain. If Massoud’s early announcement means anything, the new captain won’t shy away from the challenge. And he has a bit of an opening challenge. Pakistan’s recent record in Australia has been dismal, with Pakistan losing their last 14 Tests on Australian soil, dating back to their victory in Sydney in November 1995. Babar Azam, who became captain before Masood, was only one year old at the time.
So, does Masood’s appointment as captain represent a new approach? Pakistan has a more than decent record in Tests under the captaincy of Babar Azam, with 10 wins, 6 losses, and 4 draws. . In fact, among Pakistani players who have led their country in over 20 Tests, only Javed Miandad and Imran Khan have a better win-loss ratio. Babar’s tenure saw series wins against South Africa at home and away against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
But the big blemish in his strategy is the team’s recent home record, with no win in the last eight Tests played on Pakistani soil. Not only did they play against quality opposition in Australia, England and New Zealand, but they also battled a number of very flat pitches that made it particularly difficult to get results.
England’s 3-0 win against Pakistan was inspired by the away team’s record-breaking scoring rate, giving them extra time in the match to pick up the 20 wickets needed for victory. In these three Tests of his, England scored 5.50 runs per over. This is the highest ever test rate in the series. In such a situation, Pakistan would most likely benefit from a more proactive approach.
Since his comeback against England last year, Masood has been batting much faster than he did in his previous appearances for the Pakistan team. He had a team batting average of 80 or higher in four of his nine innings. In the last 47 innings, he has never exceeded his 80 in a Test innings.
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Under Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan were not particularly quick in scoring. Under his leadership he scored more than 400 runs among his nine players, Salman Agha being the only one to score more than 54 runs. There is scope for Pakistan to bat faster if they want to go in that direction.
Pakistan were not particularly good scorers under Babar, but in Babar’s last Test they started playing more aggressive cricket, especially in the win against Sri Lanka, the only team in the entire series to score. Scored more than 4 runs per over. This is the second time Pakistan is doing this.
We can be confident that Pakistan will continue to move in this direction under the Masood government. Masood captained Yorkshire in the 2023 County Championship, with each regular batsman hitting over 60 hits. Masoud himself scored 77 points. Given the weaknesses in their bowling attack and Australia’s overall strength, a change in approach is unlikely to lead to a change in the final result in Australia, but Masood’s captaincy will be judged by his performance in one country. Shouldn’t. Ladies and gentlemen, there was a problem with the current captain of Pakistan. However, given Masood’s words and his recent track record, Pakistan fans can expect a more positive brand of cricket that will help them overcome their recent slump at home.
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