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In a post-match conference after defeating South Africa in the Test series opener, Pakistan captain Shan Masood's statements were as following:
Shan Masood Press Conference (After 1st Test vs South Africa)
“Beating a world Test champion side is always considered a huge achievement. For us, the focus has never been on proving people wrong about divisions or rankings — it’s always been about improving as a team.”
“Of course, winning matches matters, but we’re equally satisfied knowing that we’ve been playing good cricket against strong sides. If you look back — we had chances to win in Australia, opportunities in South Africa, and we beat England at home. So the message is clear: Pakistan is playing quality cricket against top teams. The next step is consistency — turning performances into results.”
“Once we achieve that consistency, our position in the World Test Championship will improve, and all this talk about ‘Division 1’ or ‘Division 2’ will end. We’ve started this WTC cycle well, and now the challenge is to build on it.”
On Toss Luck and Batting Mistakes
“Toss is something neither we nor the opposition can control. People call it luck, but over time, it evens out. I told the team before this series — our real identity will show when we win games after losing the toss.”
“In Rawalpindi last cycle, we lost the toss and still played one of our best Tests — Saud Shakeel’s brilliant knock, support from the tail, everyone contributed. So, even if we lose the toss, we must be ready to play well in the first innings. Yes, the fourth innings is tough, but mistakes in such conditions happen. The key is to learn and plan accordingly.”
On Spin-Friendly Pitches and Team Strategy
“Last year, the pitch against West Indies in Multan was very extreme — difficult for both batting and bowling. This one was more balanced, like the Rawalpindi track we played England on. Saud Shakeel showed again that if a batter applies himself, he can score a big hundred and put pressure back on the opposition — even after losing the toss.”
“South Africa also showed that once set, batters can make the game look easy. But the good thing was, our bowlers stayed in the game throughout. Shaheen was exceptional — he showed why he’s among the best in the world. To do well in the Test Championship, we’ll need performances from all departments, and we got that in this match.”
On Team Combination and Reverse Swing
“We’ll see the Rawalpindi pitch first before deciding changes. But as we’ve said, we want similar conditions to what we had here or against England. Playing both Shaheen and Hasan Ali was intentional — they’re Pakistan’s best exponents of reverse swing, and they showed it again. Khurram Shahzad is also an excellent bowler, but in these conditions, Hasan and Shaheen’s skills with reverse swing are unmatched.”
On Fast Bowlers’ Role in Spin-Friendly Conditions
“I don’t think spin-friendly pitches discourage fast bowlers. Look at today — Shaheen took four wickets with outstanding effort. On such pitches, fast bowlers don’t disappear — their role changes.”
“We’re playing the World Test Championship across different conditions — in England with the Duke ball, in the West Indies, and in Bangladesh where conditions may favor seam. So we’re expanding our cricket, not limiting it. That’s why we’re playing two pacers now instead of one — because we understand their value.”
On Batting Collapses
“No, it’s not overconfidence. It’s about pressure and learning. If you combine both innings, we lost 11 wickets for 33 runs (17/5 and 17/6). South Africa’s last four wickets in both innings added 53 and 46 runs — that’s 79 compared to our 33. The difference of around 50 runs could’ve turned our 109-run lead into 150.”
“That’s where we need improvement — the lower order and partnerships matter a lot in Test cricket. The best teams’ tail-enders always contribute runs, and we must match that.”
On Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Spell and Abdullah Shafique’s Form
“Shaheen is a world-class bowler. During the match, he came to me and said, ‘I’ll turn this game around for you.’ We waited until the ball got a bit older before bringing him on, and he delivered exactly what he promised. That’s why he’s one of the best — sheer confidence and execution.”
“As for Abdullah Shafique, I’m confident in him. He looked solid in the first innings with 41 runs. The second innings was tougher, and he was unlucky to get out after getting set. We have to invest time in our openers; these are challenging conditions for everyone — even top orders of England or West Indies have struggled here.”
On Babar Azam’s Form
“I said earlier — in these conditions, we need to manage our expectations regarding runs. Babar made 23 in the first innings and 42 in the second — that’s 65 runs at an average of over 32 in this Test. That’s still a decent contribution.”
“Like Abdullah, he got set and then fell to a brilliant delivery from Rabada with reverse swing. There’s no problem — he’s in good touch and knows what he’s doing. It’s just about converting starts.”
Shan Masood Press Conference (After 1st Test vs South Africa)
“Beating a world Test champion side is always considered a huge achievement. For us, the focus has never been on proving people wrong about divisions or rankings — it’s always been about improving as a team.”
“Of course, winning matches matters, but we’re equally satisfied knowing that we’ve been playing good cricket against strong sides. If you look back — we had chances to win in Australia, opportunities in South Africa, and we beat England at home. So the message is clear: Pakistan is playing quality cricket against top teams. The next step is consistency — turning performances into results.”
“Once we achieve that consistency, our position in the World Test Championship will improve, and all this talk about ‘Division 1’ or ‘Division 2’ will end. We’ve started this WTC cycle well, and now the challenge is to build on it.”
On Toss Luck and Batting Mistakes
“Toss is something neither we nor the opposition can control. People call it luck, but over time, it evens out. I told the team before this series — our real identity will show when we win games after losing the toss.”
“In Rawalpindi last cycle, we lost the toss and still played one of our best Tests — Saud Shakeel’s brilliant knock, support from the tail, everyone contributed. So, even if we lose the toss, we must be ready to play well in the first innings. Yes, the fourth innings is tough, but mistakes in such conditions happen. The key is to learn and plan accordingly.”
On Spin-Friendly Pitches and Team Strategy
“Last year, the pitch against West Indies in Multan was very extreme — difficult for both batting and bowling. This one was more balanced, like the Rawalpindi track we played England on. Saud Shakeel showed again that if a batter applies himself, he can score a big hundred and put pressure back on the opposition — even after losing the toss.”
“South Africa also showed that once set, batters can make the game look easy. But the good thing was, our bowlers stayed in the game throughout. Shaheen was exceptional — he showed why he’s among the best in the world. To do well in the Test Championship, we’ll need performances from all departments, and we got that in this match.”
On Team Combination and Reverse Swing
“We’ll see the Rawalpindi pitch first before deciding changes. But as we’ve said, we want similar conditions to what we had here or against England. Playing both Shaheen and Hasan Ali was intentional — they’re Pakistan’s best exponents of reverse swing, and they showed it again. Khurram Shahzad is also an excellent bowler, but in these conditions, Hasan and Shaheen’s skills with reverse swing are unmatched.”
On Fast Bowlers’ Role in Spin-Friendly Conditions
“I don’t think spin-friendly pitches discourage fast bowlers. Look at today — Shaheen took four wickets with outstanding effort. On such pitches, fast bowlers don’t disappear — their role changes.”
“We’re playing the World Test Championship across different conditions — in England with the Duke ball, in the West Indies, and in Bangladesh where conditions may favor seam. So we’re expanding our cricket, not limiting it. That’s why we’re playing two pacers now instead of one — because we understand their value.”
On Batting Collapses
“No, it’s not overconfidence. It’s about pressure and learning. If you combine both innings, we lost 11 wickets for 33 runs (17/5 and 17/6). South Africa’s last four wickets in both innings added 53 and 46 runs — that’s 79 compared to our 33. The difference of around 50 runs could’ve turned our 109-run lead into 150.”
“That’s where we need improvement — the lower order and partnerships matter a lot in Test cricket. The best teams’ tail-enders always contribute runs, and we must match that.”
On Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Spell and Abdullah Shafique’s Form
“Shaheen is a world-class bowler. During the match, he came to me and said, ‘I’ll turn this game around for you.’ We waited until the ball got a bit older before bringing him on, and he delivered exactly what he promised. That’s why he’s one of the best — sheer confidence and execution.”
“As for Abdullah Shafique, I’m confident in him. He looked solid in the first innings with 41 runs. The second innings was tougher, and he was unlucky to get out after getting set. We have to invest time in our openers; these are challenging conditions for everyone — even top orders of England or West Indies have struggled here.”
On Babar Azam’s Form
“I said earlier — in these conditions, we need to manage our expectations regarding runs. Babar made 23 in the first innings and 42 in the second — that’s 65 runs at an average of over 32 in this Test. That’s still a decent contribution.”
“Like Abdullah, he got set and then fell to a brilliant delivery from Rabada with reverse swing. There’s no problem — he’s in good touch and knows what he’s doing. It’s just about converting starts.”