Shan Masood Defends Pace-heavy Strategy Despite Historic Loss to Bangladesh

Pakistan captain Shan Masood justified the decision to play four pacers and no specialist spinner in the first Test against Bangladesh, despite suffering a historic 10-wicket loss. He argued the pitch was expected to favor seamers but admitted the strategy backfired. The defeat marked Masood's fourth consecutive defeat as captain.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood has come forward to defend his team's strategy of selecting four pace bowlers and no specialist spinner for the first Test against Bangladesh, a decision that culminated in a historic 10-wicket defeat for Pakistan.

This defeat marks Pakistan's first ever loss to Bangladesh in a Test match. Despite his struggles with the bat, Masood refused to concede that the absence of a specialist spinner was a failure, even after Shakib ul Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took seven wickets on the final day, restricting Pakistan to 146.

Masood explained, "We anticipated the pitch would favor the seamers and thus opted for an all-pace attack to avoid overburdening any single bowler." He admitted the strategy didn't work out as planned and expressed the need to regroup for the subsequent matches.

Masood also justified the decision to declare their first innings at 448 for six to push for a victory. Yet, the Bangladesh batsmen exhibited resilience, posting disciplined performances that ultimately overwhelmed Pakistan.

The Pakistan skipper acknowledged the disappointing start to their home season and vowed to bounce back in the coming Test matches as part of the World Test Championship.

This loss represents Shan's fourth consecutive defeat as captain, following a 0-3 series whitewash against Australia last winter.

(With inputs from agencies.)