Pakistan misplaced all 5 Check matches throughout Masood’s captaincy, together with a stunning residence sequence loss to Bangladesh.
Underneath strain, Pakistan Check cricket captain Shan Masood will proceed to steer the workforce within the upcoming sequence in opposition to England regardless of shedding all his first 5 matches in cost.
Prime-order batsman Masood, 34, on Tuesday retained his place in Pakistan’s 15-man squad for subsequent month’s first Check within the southeastern metropolis of Multan.
After Pakistan suffered a 2-0 defeat at residence to Bangladesh in August, native media speculated that Masood was in peril of being sacked forward of the workforce’s busy Check dates.
Pakistan had by no means misplaced a Check match to Bangladesh earlier than and the 2 defeats in Rawalpindi additionally marked the second time Pakistan had misplaced all their matches in a house sequence, the primary being in opposition to England in 2022. That is their opponent for the upcoming sequence.
Masood’s report takes it to 5 defeats since changing Babar Azam as captain in November. His first sequence in Australia was a 3-0 defeat.
The left-handed opener’s batting type stays under par as he has failed to attain a Check century since August 2020 and has a strike charge of simply 28.6 in 5 video games as captain.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is sticking with Masood as their Australian head coach Jason Gillespie seeks consistency.
After 20 video games on this spherical of the World Check Championship, Pakistan are at present ranked eighth within the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) Males’s Check Crew Rankings with a rating of 76 factors. Australia leads with 124 factors, adopted by India and England in third place.
The primary of the three Pakistan-England Check matches will start in Multan on October 7, the second will probably be performed in the identical metropolis on October 15 and the third will probably be performed in Rawal on October 24 Pindi is held.
The PCB mentioned the workforce assertion was for the primary check solely.
“The 15-man squad is the primary check and based mostly on the advice of head coach Gillespie, the chosen gamers will take part within the coaching camp in Multan from October 1,” the board mentioned in a press launch.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali replaces quick bowler Khurram Shahzad who’s recovering from a aspect pressure.
Pacer Mohammad Ali and uncapped batsman Kamran Ghulam, who performed two Check matches in Bangladesh, have been dropped from the squad.
All-rounder Aamir Jamal returns after lacking the Bangladesh sequence as a result of a again downside.
PCB quoted Gillespie as saying: “We’re very a lot wanting ahead to the sequence in opposition to England in Pakistan and may’t look forward to it to begin.”
Squad (first check): Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (goalkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (goalkeeper ) ), Shaheen Shah Afridi.
