(Source X)
Pakistan’s crushing defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test has placed Shan Masood and his team under intense scrutiny. This loss, marking Pakistan’s first-ever Test defeat to Bangladesh, has sparked significant outrage within the country’s cricketing community. Former players have voiced their criticism over Pakistan’s performance against the Najmul Shanto-led team in Rawalpindi. Adding to the chorus of discontent, former all-rounder Shahid Afridi has directed sharp criticism at both Masood and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
On the social media platform X, following Pakistan’s defeat, Afridi questioned the pitch preparation for the Test. He also criticized Masood for opting to field four fast bowlers without including a single specialist spinner.
“A 10-wicket defeat raises serious questions about the decision to prepare this type of pitch, select four fast bowlers and leave out a specialist spinner. This to me clearly shows a lack of awareness about home conditions,” he posted on X.
“That said, you cannot take the credit away from Bangladesh for the brand of cricket they played throughout the Test,” he added.
Masood Defends Decision to Play 4 Seamers
Shan Masood stood by the decision to field four pace bowlers and no specialist spinner in the first Test against Bangladesh. Speaking to the media after the match on Sunday, he maintained that the strategy was sound, despite Shakib ul Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz claiming seven wickets between them on the final day, which led to Pakistan being dismissed for just 146 runs.
“We had anticipated the pitch to offer more assistance to the seamers. Looking at the pitch, we expected it to do more,” he said at the post-match conference.
“If we played 3 fast bowlers, we would be pushing them to the limit and the spinner would be bowling 25-30 overs a day, which we wanted to avoid. We thought that with the weather, it may not even last the full 5 days. At the end of the day, we got it wrong,” he said.
