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Pakistan Test team captain Shan Masood during a press conference:
"Our red-ball season is about to start, with seven of the matches being played in Pakistan. I think it's been a long time since we've had the opportunity to play a series of test matches within 4-5 months. Among these, one includes a tour of South Africa. Additionally, the remaining 7 tests are against England, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, all of which will be home series. This presents an exciting opportunity for our Test team with plenty still to play for in the Test Championship.”
“The top two places are still up for grabs, so our aim will be to focus on utilizing the home advantage in these seven test matches. Every test match matters. We also have the chance to gain points and win the series in South Africa. This is a great opportunity for our Test team.”
“Recent appointments have been made, including Jason Gillespie and Tim Nielsen. It is an exciting for us to gain exposure and work with Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie and Tim Nielsen.”
"I think firstly, a lot of changes have happened. Ten months is quite a long time, and if we look at this entire period, it's unfortunate that Pakistan hasn't played any test cricket for ten months. But considering this, I think the players are almost the same; we are carrying forward the same players. So, I don't think the mindset will change much. If we look at the Sri Lanka series, which we won 2-0 in Sri Lanka last year, we had changed our mindset as a batting unit. Our bowlers performed really well, not just the spinners who took wickets there, but our fast bowlers also took wickets in Sri Lanka. So, in terms of the team core, I think it's almost the same. We have an exciting opportunity despite the changes and the gap of ten months without test cricket. The group of players is the same with a few additions to our squad. Our effort will be to play with the same mindset and approach.”
Q: Regarding England's cricket approach
Shan Masood: "The England team's concept is to implement the same approach from top to bottom. They want their domestic cricket to replicate the style of their international men's team. To achieve this, they've tried to impose certain changes, such as introducing four-day fixtures with the Kookaburra ball in English domestic cricket. Two such fixtures have already taken place, with two more to go. Let's see how their teams perform."
"If you look at our Yorkshire team, we have Harry Brook and Joe Root. Due to weather conditions, we plan to score quickly and save time to get the opposing team bowled out. Test cricket is the ultimate format, spanning five days, where situations arise that require surviving the new ball and sometimes playing for a draw. You may also face a challenging spell from a bowler, which you need to navigate."
Q: About Modern Test cricket and Intent:
Shan Masood: "When we talk about intent, we mean identifying phases and putting pressure on the opposition as a batting unit when the time is right. The same applies to bowling - there should be discipline, and when the opportunity arises to attack and take four-five wickets, we should capitalize on it. Test cricket is an evolving format, changing daily, and our expectation from players and each other is to adapt to the situation, stay positive, and focus on victory."
Q: About rumours of match fixing due to Pakistan's poor performance in ICC T20 World Cup 2024:
Shan Masood: "I'll never question a player's intentions. I don't think there's anyone in the current Pakistan cricket setup who would even hint at match-fixing. I won't agree with that. Secondly, you can't mix different formats. The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is over, and now we need to focus on Test cricket. We played good cricket in the last series but couldn't win, and eventually, winning matters. Now we have a great opportunity to play our brand of cricket, which will help Pakistan win games."
Q: About Arshad Nadeem:
Shan Masood: "As for Arshad Nadeem, he's our national hero, and what he's achieved is beyond heroic. We're all proud of him. Representing Pakistan is a privilege, not a right. It's an honor to represent Pakistan in any sport, and in cricket, Pakistan is a top team globally. So, it's a privilege for us, and we have no right to take it for granted."
"Whoever represents Pakistan, I can guarantee their intention is to win matches for Pakistan. Winning and losing is part of the game, but what hurts us most is when our country doesn't win. Arshad Nadeem has brought joy to our nation, and we'll try to do the same."
Q: About team selection process:
Shan Masood: "The selection process involves a committee with members who discuss and debate over time. We started discussing this series since the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 began, and I appreciate the PCB's initiative to plan ahead. When the team management meets, we discuss and reach a unanimous consensus. Sometimes, we prioritize certain players, and based on my experience in selecting teams, I've tried to choose what's best for Pakistan."
"We've received ample facilitation from the PCB and selection board. Now, considering Bangladesh's conditions, player form, and our ability to experiment, we can't select a 17-member squad; we need to identify 25-30 players. Cricket has players in their 30s and young players, and we need to see who can serve Pakistan best and for how long. Sometimes we need experienced players in emergencies, and sometimes we get the chance to groom young players. We've considered all aspects to build a strong squad."
"No squad is perfect; mistakes happen, but we'll try to select players according to Pakistan's requirements."
Q: About fitness of players and challenges in upcoming Test series:
Shan Masood: "Test cricket is the most challenging format, both mentally and physically. It's a five-day game, and every day feels like a repetition. Additionally, with nine Test matches, there's traveling, training, and practice involved, which affects your body and mind significantly. That's why experience is crucial in learning to cope with it."
"We're fortunate to have seven Test matches in Pakistan. We earned rewards from our previous matches last year, including three against England, two against New Zealand, and three against Australia. Saud Shakeel emerged and scored runs, Salman Ali Agha performed well in domestic cricket and scored runs, and Abrar Ahmed took many wickets and played against England. We have the advantage of home conditions, and the players will be familiar with the environment. Insha'Allah, the cricketing elements will fall into place; we just need to stay mentally and physically strong. I hope our coaching staff will teach our youngsters to handle mental and physical pressure, and they'll learn quickly, Insha'Allah."
Q: About foreign coaches and communication gap:
Shan Masood: "We've all spent time in different dressing rooms, and foreign coaches have come and gone, like Mickey Arthur, who came twice. Various foreign assistant coaches have also joined us, and even our support staff, like physios, are foreigners. Players have learned a lot over the years, playing in different leagues, and some have even played club cricket in England in the past. So, I think the communication gap has largely been bridged."
"In fact, in the PSL, we have foreign coaches and local coaches, as well as players, who ensure that there's no communication gap, because ultimately, what's decided in the dressing room is what gets implemented on the field."
"Our red-ball season is about to start, with seven of the matches being played in Pakistan. I think it's been a long time since we've had the opportunity to play a series of test matches within 4-5 months. Among these, one includes a tour of South Africa. Additionally, the remaining 7 tests are against England, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, all of which will be home series. This presents an exciting opportunity for our Test team with plenty still to play for in the Test Championship.”
“The top two places are still up for grabs, so our aim will be to focus on utilizing the home advantage in these seven test matches. Every test match matters. We also have the chance to gain points and win the series in South Africa. This is a great opportunity for our Test team.”
“Recent appointments have been made, including Jason Gillespie and Tim Nielsen. It is an exciting for us to gain exposure and work with Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie and Tim Nielsen.”
"I think firstly, a lot of changes have happened. Ten months is quite a long time, and if we look at this entire period, it's unfortunate that Pakistan hasn't played any test cricket for ten months. But considering this, I think the players are almost the same; we are carrying forward the same players. So, I don't think the mindset will change much. If we look at the Sri Lanka series, which we won 2-0 in Sri Lanka last year, we had changed our mindset as a batting unit. Our bowlers performed really well, not just the spinners who took wickets there, but our fast bowlers also took wickets in Sri Lanka. So, in terms of the team core, I think it's almost the same. We have an exciting opportunity despite the changes and the gap of ten months without test cricket. The group of players is the same with a few additions to our squad. Our effort will be to play with the same mindset and approach.”
Q: Regarding England's cricket approach
Shan Masood: "The England team's concept is to implement the same approach from top to bottom. They want their domestic cricket to replicate the style of their international men's team. To achieve this, they've tried to impose certain changes, such as introducing four-day fixtures with the Kookaburra ball in English domestic cricket. Two such fixtures have already taken place, with two more to go. Let's see how their teams perform."
"If you look at our Yorkshire team, we have Harry Brook and Joe Root. Due to weather conditions, we plan to score quickly and save time to get the opposing team bowled out. Test cricket is the ultimate format, spanning five days, where situations arise that require surviving the new ball and sometimes playing for a draw. You may also face a challenging spell from a bowler, which you need to navigate."
Q: About Modern Test cricket and Intent:
Shan Masood: "When we talk about intent, we mean identifying phases and putting pressure on the opposition as a batting unit when the time is right. The same applies to bowling - there should be discipline, and when the opportunity arises to attack and take four-five wickets, we should capitalize on it. Test cricket is an evolving format, changing daily, and our expectation from players and each other is to adapt to the situation, stay positive, and focus on victory."
Q: About rumours of match fixing due to Pakistan's poor performance in ICC T20 World Cup 2024:
Shan Masood: "I'll never question a player's intentions. I don't think there's anyone in the current Pakistan cricket setup who would even hint at match-fixing. I won't agree with that. Secondly, you can't mix different formats. The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is over, and now we need to focus on Test cricket. We played good cricket in the last series but couldn't win, and eventually, winning matters. Now we have a great opportunity to play our brand of cricket, which will help Pakistan win games."
Q: About Arshad Nadeem:
Shan Masood: "As for Arshad Nadeem, he's our national hero, and what he's achieved is beyond heroic. We're all proud of him. Representing Pakistan is a privilege, not a right. It's an honor to represent Pakistan in any sport, and in cricket, Pakistan is a top team globally. So, it's a privilege for us, and we have no right to take it for granted."
"Whoever represents Pakistan, I can guarantee their intention is to win matches for Pakistan. Winning and losing is part of the game, but what hurts us most is when our country doesn't win. Arshad Nadeem has brought joy to our nation, and we'll try to do the same."
Q: About team selection process:
Shan Masood: "The selection process involves a committee with members who discuss and debate over time. We started discussing this series since the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 began, and I appreciate the PCB's initiative to plan ahead. When the team management meets, we discuss and reach a unanimous consensus. Sometimes, we prioritize certain players, and based on my experience in selecting teams, I've tried to choose what's best for Pakistan."
"We've received ample facilitation from the PCB and selection board. Now, considering Bangladesh's conditions, player form, and our ability to experiment, we can't select a 17-member squad; we need to identify 25-30 players. Cricket has players in their 30s and young players, and we need to see who can serve Pakistan best and for how long. Sometimes we need experienced players in emergencies, and sometimes we get the chance to groom young players. We've considered all aspects to build a strong squad."
"No squad is perfect; mistakes happen, but we'll try to select players according to Pakistan's requirements."
Q: About fitness of players and challenges in upcoming Test series:
Shan Masood: "Test cricket is the most challenging format, both mentally and physically. It's a five-day game, and every day feels like a repetition. Additionally, with nine Test matches, there's traveling, training, and practice involved, which affects your body and mind significantly. That's why experience is crucial in learning to cope with it."
"We're fortunate to have seven Test matches in Pakistan. We earned rewards from our previous matches last year, including three against England, two against New Zealand, and three against Australia. Saud Shakeel emerged and scored runs, Salman Ali Agha performed well in domestic cricket and scored runs, and Abrar Ahmed took many wickets and played against England. We have the advantage of home conditions, and the players will be familiar with the environment. Insha'Allah, the cricketing elements will fall into place; we just need to stay mentally and physically strong. I hope our coaching staff will teach our youngsters to handle mental and physical pressure, and they'll learn quickly, Insha'Allah."
Q: About foreign coaches and communication gap:
Shan Masood: "We've all spent time in different dressing rooms, and foreign coaches have come and gone, like Mickey Arthur, who came twice. Various foreign assistant coaches have also joined us, and even our support staff, like physios, are foreigners. Players have learned a lot over the years, playing in different leagues, and some have even played club cricket in England in the past. So, I think the communication gap has largely been bridged."
"In fact, in the PSL, we have foreign coaches and local coaches, as well as players, who ensure that there's no communication gap, because ultimately, what's decided in the dressing room is what gets implemented on the field."
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