September 4, 2024

Shan Masood Unconcerned About Job Security Despite Loss to Bangladesh

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has stated he is not concerned about his job security following a 0-2 series loss to Bangladesh. The second Test in Rawalpindi marked his fifth consecutive defeat as captain since taking over in 2023. Previously, Masood’s team lost three Tests to Australia and now two more to Bangladesh, a team Pakistan had never previously lost to in Test matches.

In the post-match press conference, Masood acknowledged the team’s poor performance but emphasized that he is focused on the necessary changes to improve. He expressed his willingness to endure personal setbacks if it means making progress for the team.

Masood Advocates for More Test Cricket and Experience Despite Job Security Concerns

“I am not worried for my job security,” he said. “I took this job to make the changes we believe will help this team. If I believe this team can go in a certain direction, even if my personal failure takes Pakistan in that direction, I will be content. However much time I get I’ll be grateful for and do my best.”

Masood emphasized that Pakistan needs to play more Test matches to improve their performance in the format. He stressed that focusing on T20Is won’t help Pakistan become a stronger Test team. He pointed out that Bangladesh had two players in their Test squad with nearly 90 Test matches each, highlighting the value of experience in the longer format.

“Bangladesh have two players who have played 70-90 Tests (Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahman), and Litton [Das] and Mehidy [Hasan Miraz] have played close to 40. We need the same level of red-ball exposure. Test cricket is the ultimate format of the game. You need experience. It’s obvious we need more Test and red-ball cricket. Whatever format you play is the format for which you’ll produce players,” Masood said.

India Test Squad Expected to Be Announced After Duleep Trophy Round One

India’s Test players will start training at Chepauk on September 12 in preparation for their first Test against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19. Bangladesh will begin their training at the same venue on September 15.

The BCCI has yet to announce the squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh. This announcement is expected to follow the first round of the Duleep Trophy, scheduled from September 5 to 8 in Bengaluru and Anantapur. Key players in the mix include Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Mukesh Kumar, Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, and KS Bharat.

Several Test hopefuls, including batters Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, and B Sai Sudharsan, as well as bowlers R Sai Kishore, Saurabh Kumar, and Yash Dayal, will showcase their skills in the domestic season opener.

India’s Busy Test Schedule Ahead: Series Against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia

India is gearing up for a busy Test season as part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25. They will start with two Tests against Bangladesh, the first in Chennai and the second in Kanpur. The series will end on October 12, followed by three T20Is. Afterward, India will play three Tests against New Zealand at home, then travel to South Africa for five white-ball matches, and later face Australia in a five-Test series.

India’s last Test series was against England from February to March, which they won 4-1. Since then, they have participated in the IPL, the T20 World Cup (which they won), and white-ball series in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh, fresh from a historic 2-0 Test series sweep against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, will bring confidence to their matches in Chennai. This victory has propelled Bangladesh to No. 4 on the WTC table with a 45.83 percentage points. India, currently leading the table with 68.52 percentage points, will look to enhance their position further with this series against Bangladesh.