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[VIDEO] Shan Masood 2.0 - Performance Watch

Junaids said:
Shan Masood this last 18 months has been literally twice as good as Azhar Ali.

If Shan goes, Azhar has to go first.
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Yes. Azhar has been shockingly poor. This should be the last series for him, if he fails to score some runs.
 
I'm looking forward to Shan's performances this tour. I hope he scores big :moyo.
 
Been a Shan fan since the innings in Pallekelle. Still think he needs to work on his game square of the offside. Something Anwar and Salman Butt were great at....Shan looks to score more through covers and and for a left hander the makes him vulnerable to getting out in the slips. Needs to work on slashing it square through point and gully more often.
 
12, 41, 11, and 9 on the tour of England in the warm-up matches so far.

Dropped once today before getting out LBW and didn't get into double figures.
 
These warm up matches don't seem to be doing much a good job for our players, specially those who would be under pressure to perform. Our players weakness will be exploited and very much like these warm ups, Babar Azam will have to become our saviour again.
 
Abdullah719 said:
12, 41, 11, and 9 on the tour of England in the warm-up matches so far.

Dropped once today before getting out LBW and didn't get into double figures.
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Very worrying when both openers get out within first couple overs
 
From Day 3 of the 2nd 4-Day match:

Masood was badly dropped at second slip off Sohail on 28, one of a number of catches that have gone down in the cordon in this game, but was bowled by Imran, one away from a half century.
 
Version 2 or whatever, he will be thoroughly tested versus England.

He's been struggling at Derby, dropped a few times too.

Let's see what he's made of.
 
Stuart broad is a left hand bats worse nightmare, if I were the pakistan selector I would not select him for the tests.
 
Manunited18 said:
Stuart broad is a left hand bats worse nightmare, if I were the pakistan selector I would not select him for the tests.
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It's certainly what Atherton was saying at the end of days play today, that Broad is currently getting left-handers out for fun.

However 3 out of 4 of our openers are left-handers so we don't have a choice to go with right-handers alone.

Strauss made a great point during commentary today. In the long run, a player will not average more than their domestic average. They may start brightly but in time they will inevitably revert to their median average. In Masood's case, that means he is and will always be distinctly average.

But hey he can speak English without a desi accent. Selection criteria is therefore met according to most Pakistani fans.
 
He's been around for a while now, and while he's played some good innings here and there, has been no where near consistent enough to be the first choice opener.

38 innings are a lot of chances, and he's been very fortunate to have a consistent run. Still averages 31 - with all three of his centuries coming on flat wickets against very weak attacks.

Once again Pak selectors missed the boat by not trying out other openers when SriLanka and Bangladesh visited Pakistan. Now you have no choice but to stick with Shan because you haven't developed a bench
 
Usman said:
It's certainly what Atherton was saying at the end of days play today, that Broad is currently getting left-handers out for fun.

However 3 out of 4 of our openers are left-handers so we don't have a choice to go with right-handers alone.

Strauss made a great point during commentary today. In the long run, a player will not average more than their domestic average. They may start brightly but in time they will inevitably revert to their median average. In Masood's case, that means he is and will always be distinctly average.

But hey he can speak English without a desi accent. Selection criteria is therefore met according to most Pakistani fans.
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So, there are a number of factors why Shan Masood keeps getting selected:

a) He made an impressive return away to South Africa in 2019 (albeit, relative to his previously poor form as v1.0). This displays a very unpakistani trait of trying to improve one's self after being *completely* written off in his first stint. It also shows mental toughness;

b) He's a good fielder and is one of the fittest members of the squad. This sets a good example, especially to the young 'uns;

c) He also works extra hard to compensate for the regular labels of nepotism, that he faces. (Interestingly, Imam has a similar trait);

d) He can bowl a few overs, which in the current Test line up, is a plus, especially in Haris Sohail's absence;

e) He showed some admirable leadership skills in the PSL. Granted it's a different format, but he marshalled his resources well and was not afraid to try different bowling combos to force things in a game. In a Pakistani test team that clearly has a lack of leaders, he's a useful voice;

f) I realise you mention the English accent in your post, but he generally comes across as a likeable guy, a 'team man' if you will;

g) He's currently opening, and the management will want to back him, to foster confidence.

However, at end of the day, Shan has to justify his place in the team based on his *aptitude as a batsmen* rather than his other positive aspects. And whilst he has definitely improved from V1.0, there's still a clear, justifiable feeling amongst fans that the guy is punching above his weight at this level. The warm match performances further embolden that feeling.

His batting average in England at 17.00, is not great. He also comes across as nervy at the crease, when ideally you want your openers to be ice cold. He has a habit of dangling his bat outside his off stump, when it's crucial to play the ball late in England. And I'm absolutely not looking forward to him vs Broad.

But he will play for the reasons a) to g) above .

In closing, in my view the reason Shan is in the team, without much public outcry, is because people do actually want him to do well. However, based on past (And recent warm-up) performances, he should not play.

Imam has the higher ceiling, albeit he has similar issues with playing the ball late. Out if the two, it would be Imam who plays. Fakhar is an interesting shout, in that he may put off the English quicks by attacking them, but given his technical deficiencies, he'll get ruthlessly exposed.

For the future, In the domestic scene, Sami Aslam is a quarter of the professional Shan is, but has a much higher upside.

Abdullah Shafique is another young prospect with much potential.
 
If I was coach/selector I would open with abid and azer ali combo, that would at least have a better chance of survival against broads onslaught on left handers at the top of the order and select one of the opening left handers who could be suited to more down the order.
 
It is clearly obvious that he is simply not talented enough.

The talent factor cannot be understated in sports - you can work your backside off, but if you do not have immense natural ability, you will never excel at the highest level.

Masood is maximizing whatever limited natural talent he has but it is not good enough. Sooner or later, Pakistan will have to move on from his perpetual mediocrity.
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
So, there are a number of factors why Shan Masood keeps getting selected:

a) He made an impressive return away to South Africa in 2019 (albeit, relative to his previously poor form as v1.0). This displays a very unpakistani trait of trying to improve one's self after being *completely* written off in his first stint. It also shows mental toughness;

b) He's a good fielder and is one of the fittest members of the squad. This sets a good example, especially to the young 'uns;

c) He also works extra hard to compensate for the regular labels of nepotism, that he faces. (Interestingly, Imam has a similar trait);

d) He can bowl a few overs, which in the current Test line up, is a plus, especially in Haris Sohail's absence;

e) He showed some admirable leadership skills in the PSL. Granted it's a different format, but he marshalled his resources well and was not afraid to try different bowling combos to force things in a game. In a Pakistani test team that clearly has a lack of leaders, he's a useful voice;

f) I realise you mention the English accent in your post, but he generally comes across as a likeable guy, a 'team man' if you will;

g) He's currently opening, and the management will want to back him, to foster confidence.

However, at end of the day, Shan has to justify his place in the team based on his *aptitude as a batsmen* rather than his other positive aspects. And whilst he has definitely improved from V1.0, there's still a clear, justifiable feeling amongst fans that the guy is punching above his weight at this level. The warm match performances further embolden that feeling.

His batting average in England at 17.00, is not great. He also comes across as nervy at the crease, when ideally you want your openers to be ice cold. He has a habit of dangling his bat outside his off stump, when it's crucial to play the ball late in England. And I'm absolutely not looking forward to him vs Broad.

But he will play for the reasons a) to g) above .

In closing, in my view the reason Shan is in the team, without much public outcry, is because people do actually want him to do well. However, based on past (And recent warm-up) performances, he should not play.

Imam has the higher ceiling, albeit he has similar issues with playing the ball late. Out if the two, it would be Imam who plays. Fakhar is an interesting shout, in that he may put off the English quicks by attacking them, but given his technical deficiencies, he'll get ruthlessly exposed.

For the future, In the domestic scene, Sami Aslam is a quarter of the professional Shan is, but has a much higher upside.

Abdullah Shafique is another young prospect with much potential.
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A) although he did ok in South Africa, let's not get carried away. The rest of the batsmen flopped epically and in contrast to them, Shan did well. But on any objective analysis, Shan did not have an outstanding tour as his fans would like us to believe. He got starts and got out. When we judge other batsman, we do so by how many hundreds they have been able to score in difficult conditions. With Shan, his fans judge him by how many 30s and 40s he was able to score in those conditions.

B) being a good fielder is critical but not more critical than your primary function in the team - I.e. bowling or batting. If you average 30 in domestic cricket but are Jonty Rhodes in the field, that should not be the basis of your selection.

C) I'm sure Shan works hard but unfortunately doing well in international cricket is only partly down to hard work. You have to have the underlying talent which the hard work utilises. Hard work on its own won't get you anywhere.

D) whilst that's good, the chances of him being a wicket taker are low. Arguably even uncle Ifti is better option if you're looking to select a batsman who has decent bowling stats.

E) if he's got a good cricketing brain that helps the captain in the field then that's a good thing for sure. But again selection based on this when he can't bat is clutching at straws.

F) I'd like to think that I'm a great team man too, but it doesn't mean I should be playing for Pakistan, because I lack the requisite skill!

G) I'm not sure exposing him to Broad and Anderson is going to do anything to his confidence or indeed the confidence of the team. This is precisely the reason we have ended up in this mess - backing Shan despite his terrible stats. If we had spent the time backing others who have just performed at a higher level than him, we wouldn't be in this situation.

If he plays, I too want him to do very well inshallah. I will always wish a Pakistani player well. But I will also call out selections which are illogical and the continued persistence with Shan, despite his okish performance in South Africa, is absurd.

Imam I agree has a higher ceiling, even though his domestic stats are equally appalling. He has however at least shown the ability to perform consistently at this level. I agree Fakhar could get exposed but then that's the point - so will Shan. At least Fakhar has natural ability that may, in time, produce consistent results. Shan simply doesn't have that.
 
A quick snapshot of Pakistani batsmen since the tour of South Africa. This would give reasoning why Shan Masood is being persisted with so far.
Shan Masood Stats.jpg
 

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Mamoon said:
It is clearly obvious that he is simply not talented enough.

The talent factor cannot be understated in sports - you can work your backside off, but if you do not have immense natural ability, you will never excel at the highest level.

Masood is maximizing whatever limited natural talent he has but it is not good enough. Sooner or later, Pakistan will have to move on from his perpetual mediocrity.
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He is very average but for a mediocre team like Pakistan, he's more than good enough when you're competing with the likes of Imam, Abid and Sami Aslam.
 
Broad over the last year or so averages 5 against left handers! Yes 5. I think it will be suicide if pakistan pick any of the left handers as openers in the tests.
 
topspin said:
He is very average but for a mediocre team like Pakistan, he's more than good enough when you're competing with the likes of Imam, Abid and Sami Aslam.
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While none of them are top talents, all of them are more gifted than Masood.

Masood is the least talented cricketer in this mediocre team.
 
Manunited18 said:
Broad over the last year or so averages 5 against left handers! Yes 5. I think it will be suicide if pakistan pick any of the left handers as openers in the tests.
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Pakistan management, especially Misbah, do not have the intelligence and the perception to process these factors. If we could think along these lines we would not be the poster boys of mediocrity.

If Masood doesn’t get picked it will be because he has failed in the warmups, and not because of the Broad factor.
 
Usman said:
A) although he did ok in South Africa, let's not get carried away. The rest of the batsmen flopped epically and in contrast to them, Shan did well. But on any objective analysis, Shan did not have an outstanding tour as his fans would like us to believe. He got starts and got out. When we judge other batsman, we do so by how many hundreds they have been able to score in difficult conditions. With Shan, his fans judge him by how many 30s and 40s he was able to score in those conditions.

B) being a good fielder is critical but not more critical than your primary function in the team - I.e. bowling or batting. If you average 30 in domestic cricket but are Jonty Rhodes in the field, that should not be the basis of your selection.

C) I'm sure Shan works hard but unfortunately doing well in international cricket is only partly down to hard work. You have to have the underlying talent which the hard work utilises. Hard work on its own won't get you anywhere.

D) whilst that's good, the chances of him being a wicket taker are low. Arguably even uncle Ifti is better option if you're looking to select a batsman who has decent bowling stats.

E) if he's got a good cricketing brain that helps the captain in the field then that's a good thing for sure. But again selection based on this when he can't bat is clutching at straws.

F) I'd like to think that I'm a great team man too, but it doesn't mean I should be playing for Pakistan, because I lack the requisite skill!

G) I'm not sure exposing him to Broad and Anderson is going to do anything to his confidence or indeed the confidence of the team. This is precisely the reason we have ended up in this mess - backing Shan despite his terrible stats. If we had spent the time backing others who have just performed at a higher level than him, we wouldn't be in this situation.

If he plays, I too want him to do very well inshallah. I will always wish a Pakistani player well. But I will also call out selections which are illogical and the continued persistence with Shan, despite his okish performance in South Africa, is absurd.

Imam I agree has a higher ceiling, even though his domestic stats are equally appalling. He has however at least shown the ability to perform consistently at this level. I agree Fakhar could get exposed but then that's the point - so will Shan. At least Fakhar has natural ability that may, in time, produce consistent results. Shan simply doesn't have that.
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I agree with the points A-G you raise. My initial post was trying to understand why the team management were still picking him, rather than why he himself merited selection (he doesn't have a cast iron case, as we both agree).

In the long term, unless he completely proves you and I wrong, he doesn't seem to be the answer. And whilst the post made by [MENTION=145403]Extra_Cover[/MENTION] is relevant, perhaps it's may be looked at in another manner.

Shan, may have the second highest runs scored after Babar since SA tour.But included in those 624 runs, are two home hundreds against a weakened Bangladesh and low ranked Sri Lanka side (135 and 100 respectively). In the spirit of fairness, that shouldn't count against him, however with those outliers removed, his average drops down to 32, confirming your point about him playing to his domestic average of 35.

The irony with Shan is this. Having further looked at his other stats, against Australia away he would invariably bat between 90 - 180 minutes at an ok strike rate before than getting out caught behind. So, he would do all the hard work of actually seeing off the new ball, before giving his wicket away via a concentration lapse or getting out to a real demonic delivery.

Against Anderson and Broad, where your defence needs to be rock solid, and even that may not be enough, it's a tough ask of Shan.
 
Usman said:
B) being a good fielder is critical but not more critical than your primary function in the team - I.e. bowling or batting. If you average 30 in domestic cricket but are Jonty Rhodes in the field, that should not be the basis of your selection.

C) I'm sure Shan works hard but unfortunately doing well in international cricket is only partly down to hard work. You have to have the underlying talent which the hard work utilises. Hard work on its own won't get you anywhere.

E) if he's got a good cricketing brain that helps the captain in the field then that's a good thing for sure. But again selection based on this when he can't bat is clutching at straws.
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I also think, given what you've mentioned, that Shan would make a very good coach. He's intelligent, has an acute mind for the game, communicates well and is a hard worker. Plus he's had an apprenticeship of sorts under Andy Flower via the Multan Sultans. Something for the PCB to consider for the future, perhaps
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
I agree with the points A-G you raise. My initial post was trying to understand why the team management were still picking him, rather than why he himself merited selection (he doesn't have a cast iron case, as we both agree).

In the long term, unless he completely proves you and I wrong, he doesn't seem to be the answer. And whilst the post made by [MENTION=145403]Extra_Cover[/MENTION] is relevant, perhaps it's may be looked at in another manner.

Shan, may have the second highest runs scored after Babar since SA tour.But included in those 624 runs, are two home hundreds against a weakened Bangladesh and low ranked Sri Lanka side (135 and 100 respectively). In the spirit of fairness, that shouldn't count against him, however with those outliers removed, his average drops down to 32, confirming your point about him playing to his domestic average of 35.

The irony with Shan is this. Having further looked at his other stats, against Australia away he would invariably bat between 90 - 180 minutes at an ok strike rate before than getting out caught behind. So, he would do all the hard work of actually seeing off the new ball, before giving his wicket away via a concentration lapse or getting out to a real demonic delivery.

Against Anderson and Broad, where your defence needs to be rock solid, and even that may not be enough, it's a tough ask of Shan.
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With all due respect if we ignore the series with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka the stats of Pakistani batsmen are as follows.
New Stats.jpg

The point is simple, when it comes to chop always start with the weakest point. At this moment Shan is not the weakest point in the team.
 
Extra_Cover said:
With all due respect if we ignore the series with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka the stats of Pakistani batsmen are as follows.
View attachment 102415

The point is simple, when it comes to chop always start with the weakest point. At this moment Shan is not the weakest point in the team.
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Statistically, you are right. Management have got themselves into a right palaver by appointing a non-performing captain, hedging their bets that Azhar would turn his fortunes around. Thus, Azhar's prolifigacy, plus the revolving door around the second opener spot has raised Shan's stats to make him one of the better one's of a bad bunch. It's difficult for a test team to be effective with that range of averages.

Look, contemplation aside, it's a lock that Shan plays the first test and given the resistance to sudden change that this team management has, he'l play the second test too, unless he fails utterly in the first test.

My point is, Shan hasn't completely sealed the spot long term based on his weight of consistent, relevant performances relative to match results. I can't see a 2022 pakistan test team with Shan opening, but I'd be glad if he conclusively proved me wrong.
 
With the pace of Old Trafford and facing up to Archer, Broad, Anderson, Woods, Woakes and even Curran can all hurt our batting let alone Masood. Shan Masood will likely very prone, considering how Sohail Khan was troubling Masood, this will tell you what to expect from Masood this tour.
 
Big test for him in this series. Needs to score big for Pakistan.
 
Surviving at the moment - needs to see of this period and score.
 
Doing well Shan - has looked most composed of all so far.
 
Hes been lucky, 4 outside edged fours that i can count.. Still kudos for battling it out and still being there
 
"Opening in England and especially batting first in a Test is one of the hardest for visiting openers. Since 2016 20 openers have had a chance to bat and no opener has faced more deliveries in an innings than Shan Masood."
 
Misbah thought that Azhar Ali was the reincarnation of himself, when actually it was Shan Masood all along.

A limited player of moderate ability, but intelligent, hardworking, and always analysing how to improve himself. And educated.

There’s a lot to admire in Shan Masood.
 
Must say Shan Masood has definitely looked solid. With that being said, he needs to score big today.
 
Junaids said:
Misbah thought that Azhar Ali was the reincarnation of himself, when actually it was Shan Masood all along.

A limited player of moderate ability, but intelligent, hardworking, and always analysing how to improve himself. And educated.

There’s a lot to admire in Shan Masood.
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This guy is a gem. Know him personally since we share the same gym.
Trains harder than anyone, and is very good student of the game.
Should be handed over the test captaincy.
 
Wasim Akram on Shan:

"Shan Masood, his role was to stay at one crease and see off the new ball and that's what he did. He's got a good technique, good defence and obviously he's worked hard on his technique. He was prominently a legside player but now he is playing both sides of the wicket and with a straight bat."
 
Thought Mike Holding's analysis comparing him with Brathwaite was on the money. He basically pointed out how Shan was balanced very well and playing the ball under his eyeline whereas Brathwaite was reaching for the ball. Not something most people pick up on, but would explain why he is pretty good at getting onto the back foot for the short ball as he doesn't lunge forward too far.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Thought Mike Holding's analysis comparing him with Brathwaite was on the money. He basically pointed out how Shan was balanced very well and playing the ball under his eyeline whereas Brathwaite was reaching for the ball. Not something most people pick up on, but would explain why he is pretty good at getting onto the back foot for the short ball as he doesn't lunge forward too far.
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Yes his analysis was excellent
 
I’m really impressed.

Looked a bit unconvincing in the beginning.

But has batted well so far.

Need to score a century.
 
Not very easy on the eyes, but fantastic application. Has had a few edges, but good concentration to keep going
 
Takes alot of guts to survive the new ball in England. He was lucky at times but also showed alot of character and application to hang in there. Really impressed by how much he has grown as a batsman in the last year and a half.
 
Don't think he is a good player technically, but he uses his limited resources very well, and that shows he has batting intelligence if nothing else.
 
Shan proving his detractors wrong again. Yes he is limited but like Misbah he is very much needed in a Pak team for providing stabilty and edging Pak to good totals. He has been scoring useful runs with consistency.
 
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He has been very good so far.He was good in that south Africa series as well.He is grinding it out there.He has definitely improved a lot.
 
Since the start of 2016, no touring opener has faced more balls in the first innings of a match in England than Shan Masood (45* from 134 balls) today
 
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I reserve judgement on him after the series end.

He has had some edges and drop catch, had they been caught people wouldnt had been singing praises.

I like him as a batsmen though and reallg want him to cement his place in the pakistan team.

But i think abid ali would come out on top as the better opener after the series ends
 
Major said:
I reserve judgement on him after the series end.

He has had some edges and drop catch, had they been caught people wouldnt had been singing praises.

I like him as a batsmen though and reallg want him to cement his place in the pakistan team.

But i think abid ali would come out on top as the better opener after the series ends
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Abid is feeling for the ball too much, doesn’t know how to leave it. He won’t have a great series.
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
Abid is feeling for the ball too much, doesn’t know how to leave it. He won’t have a great series.
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Lets see because the guy has scored alot of runs. He has a great start on flat pitches so hoping he could replicate it here aswell
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
Abid is feeling for the ball too much, doesn’t know how to leave it. He won’t have a great series.
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Abid will really struggle in the series if he leaves like this. Very indecisive. Shan, on the other hand, has been superb handling balls in the channel. If he can keep this up we can hope for 300+ totals more consistently.
 
Absolutely have to credit his graft today. He's put the hard yards in, now he just needs to *concentrate* and keep ticking along InshAllah.

That said, I'm watching his innings with trepidation. Hope he does well
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Don't think he is a good player technically, but he uses his limited resources very well, and that shows he has batting intelligence if nothing else.
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Perhaps the intelligence has something to do with his formal education from the UK.
 
I hope Shan Masood goes on to score a big one. This would real slap in the face to his haters.

Even after relatively successful tours in Australia and South Africa, the amount of hate he has received, particularly from Misbah and Imam fan boys has been unacceptable.
 
Hadi Rizvi said:
Perhaps the intelligence has something to do with his formal education from the UK.
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I don't think so, one of the most intelligent Pakistan batsmen I ever saw was Miandad, and he sure didn't have a formal education in the UK. Neither did Babar Azam and he is shaping up to be a pretty intelligent batsman as well.
 
topspin said:
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] did. According to him, Imam and Abid are superior to Shan Masood.
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Shan has zero talent. Sure he works hard, but you can never succeed in international cricket without natural talent. Pakistan will have better results if they invest in someone with more ability but also the capacity to work hard. Imam works hard but is also more talented than Masood. Sami Aslam is also much more gifted.

Abid is not my cup of tea though.
 
Mamoon said:
Shan has zero talent. Sure he works hard, but you can never succeed in international cricket without natural talent. Pakistan will have better results if they invest in someone with more ability but also the capacity to work hard. Imam works hard but is also more talented than Masood. Sami Aslam is also much more gifted.

Abid is not my cup of tea though.
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You could say the same about other players, for example Mike Hussey. He wasn't very talented but with years of hardwork managed to break into the Australian team and make a decent international career from the opportunities he was given.

If we want to draw comparisons with Shan and other Pakistani openers. Lets remind ourselves of how inept Imam was in the Australia tour (at the end of last year). Shan on the other hand averaged somewhere between 38 and 40.

As for Sami Aslam being "more gifted", with the greatest of respect this is quite laughable. This guy couldn't even manage a strike rate of 40 (let alone an average of 40) after 13 tests.
 
topspin said:
You could say the same about other players, for example Mike Hussey. He wasn't very talented but with years of hardwork managed to break into the Australian team and make a decent international career from the opportunities he was given.

If we want to draw comparisons with Shan and other Pakistani openers. Lets remind ourselves of how inept Imam was in the Australia tour (at the end of last year). Shan on the other hand averaged somewhere between 38 and 40.

As for Sami Aslam being "more gifted", with the greatest of respect this is quite laughable. This guy couldn't even manage a strike rate of 40 (let alone an average of 40) after 13 tests.
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Hussey was more talented than Masood can ever hope to be. It is very, very rare for a player of Masood’s talent to become a success in international cricket by performing consistently.

He is playing a decent little innings here and he will get the entire series and probably a few more tours based on this, but I believe Pakistani are simply wasting their time with a 30 year old who would probably never average above 35. Is that good enough? Clearly not.

Pakistan needs a 45+ averaging opening batsman and Masood isn’t the guy. As far as the comparisons with other Pakistani openers are concerned, I am not sure if he is the best we’ve got and if he is, then Pakistan cricket is in a far worse position than I think.
 
Mamoon said:
Hussey was more talented than Masood can ever hope to be. It is very, very rare for a player of Masood’s talent to become a success in international cricket by performing consistently.

He is playing a decent little innings here and he will get the entire series and probably a few more tours based on this, but I believe Pakistani are simply wasting their time with a 30 year old who would probably never average above 35. Is that good enough? Clearly not.

Pakistan needs a 45+ averaging opening batsman and Masood isn’t the guy. As far as the comparisons with other Pakistani openers are concerned, I am not sure if he is the best we’ve got and if he is, then Pakistan cricket is in a far worse position than I think.
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This is a bit like saying Pakistan needs 4 world class batsmen. Well yes, but if you don't have them, then you pick the best of what you have.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
This is a bit like saying Pakistan needs 4 world class batsmen. Well yes, but if you don't have them, then you pick the best of what you have.
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But I am not sure if he is the best we have. I think if Imam and Sami Aslam get the same amount of matches in the same conditions, they would score more than Masood.
 
Mamoon said:
But I am not sure if he is the best we have. I think if Imam and Sami Aslam get the same amount of matches in the same conditions, they would score more than Masood.
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Maybe, but those batsmen have had chances to secure their spot as well, I don't there's enough difference in their performances to make a solid case for them either.
 
Mamoon said:
Hussey was more talented than Masood can ever hope to be. It is very, very rare for a player of Masood’s talent to become a success in international cricket by performing consistently.

He is playing a decent little innings here and he will get the entire series and probably a few more tours based on this, but I believe Pakistani are simply wasting their time with a 30 year old who would probably never average above 35. Is that good enough? Clearly not.

Pakistan needs a 45+ averaging opening batsman and Masood isn’t the guy. As far as the comparisons with other Pakistani openers are concerned, I am not sure if he is the best we’ve got and if he is, then Pakistan cricket is in a far worse position than I think.
Click to expand...

Masood v1 was awful and far worse than Sami Aslam and Imam. I can agree with you on that.

However, Masood v2 >>> Imam and Sami Aslam.

Imam and Sami are strokeless wonders. Abid Ali is a bottom handed hack.
 
Masood has impressed for sure today - just needs to see it through now.
 
MenInG said:
Masood has impressed for sure today - just needs to see it through now.
Click to expand...

1wAfFaTPRkWP0Q3Dyer9_image%20%2819%29.jpg


This would have been bad!
 
Bit edgy at times and got a couple of loves, but played a crucial role in blunting the new ball in overcast Day 1 conditions.
 
Major said:
I reserve judgement on him after the series end.

He has had some edges and drop catch, had they been caught people wouldnt had been singing praises.

I like him as a batsmen though and reallg want him to cement his place in the pakistan team.

But i think abid ali would come out on top as the better opener after the series ends
Click to expand...

Abid averages 49 since 2015 in QEA Trophy which is better than any other Pakistani opener.

Even if he fails in England, we should still persist with Shan and Abid at the top because the other options aren't convincing.
 
Definitely impressed everyone but he needs to work on keeping his composure for longer periods and up his game against spin. Have been regularly getting starts in overseas tests but haven’t converted them. I hope he can change that in this innings itself or soon.
 
Markhor said:
Even if he fails in England, we should still persist with Shan and Abid at the top because the other options aren't convincing.
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Agreed. Abid or Shan don’t deserve to be droped even after a poor series let alone a poor innings considering how decent they have been in last couple of series. Two completely barren series can require pondering over but not even a question before that.
 
MenInG said:
1wAfFaTPRkWP0Q3Dyer9_image%20%2819%29.jpg


This would have been bad!
Click to expand...

He has good defensive technique, but he's not good enough to keep runs flowing. He gets bogged down easily, and struggles to get boundaries. He's need to be comfortable with his role of just occupying one end, and rotate the strike - something he did fairly well today

Shan doesn't need to try and pile on the runs, particularly when you're batting with Babar who's hitting boundaries for fun.
 
coy0607 said:
He has good defensive technique, but he's not good enough to keep runs flowing. He gets bogged down easily, and struggles to get boundaries. He's need to be comfortable with his role of just occupying one end, and rotate the strike - something he did fairly well today

Shan doesn't need to try and pile on the runs, particularly when you're batting with Babar who's hitting boundaries for fun.
Click to expand...

I would agree. He doesn't have the strokes to keep the runs flowing, he's a younger and less competent version of Azhar Ali (before his body went south). It might almost be better if he got out, but knowng Shafiq it may well trigger a batting collapse. If Pakistan gets to 380-400 at Stumps tomorrow it would be fine assuming they continue to bat how they did today.
 
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OMG I had forgotten about Sami Aslam. That guy was just a stopper and not a batsman, had ZERO shots in his arsenal. Shan Masood is definitely an upgrade on him. I remember how Sami was hailed as the next big thing alongside Bobby.
 
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Shan got a bit jittery at times but he's managed to carry his bat through the first day of a typical English test match with tough overhead conditions facing some decent bowlers on their home turf. He deserves a lot of credit for his resilience.
 
Syed1 said:
OMG I had forgotten about Sami Aslam. That guy was just a stopper and not a batsman, had ZERO shots in his arsenal. Shan Masood is definitely an upgrade on him. I remember how Sami was hailed as the next big thing alongside Bobby.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I think the stopgap instead of Abid should be Imam, followed by a youngster if we find someone better. Couple others waiting in the wings like Haider, Imran Butt and if he has a good season this year, Abdullah Shafique.
 
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A bit fortunate and not the prettiest innings but the most important thing is that he's still not out.
 
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