Shan Masood Calls for Consistency in Pakistan Team Selection Following Defeat to Bangladesh

Pakistan skipper Shan Masood emphasizes the need for consistent team selection after a disappointing series defeat against Bangladesh. Despite Masood's notable performances, Pakistan's inconsistent selection process has been highlighted as a key issue. Bangladesh's historic series win boosts their standing in the ICC World Test Championship.

Following Pakistan's disappointing series defeat to Bangladesh, skipper Shan Masood underscored the need for 'consistency' in team selection. Pakistan succumbed to a six-wicket loss in the second Test match held in Rawalpindi.

Masood delivered an impressive performance in the first inning, notching up 57 runs off 69 balls with a strike rate of 82.61 and added 28 runs from 34 balls in the second. At a post-match press conference, he discussed the challenges in selecting players.

'We must work on consistency in selection. Tolerating player failures is crucial,' Masood said. 'It's not just about Babar Azam. Consistency improves performance. We need to identify those who can be automatic selections based on current form. We don't have many red-ball options right now,' he added, mentioning that he's not concerned about losing his captaincy post the series loss.

'I'm not worried about my job security. I took this role to implement changes for the team's benefit. If my personal failure steers Pakistan in the right direction, I'll be satisfied. I'll be grateful for any time I get and will do my best,' Masood stated. Bangladesh marked their maiden Test win over Pakistan in the series' first match and repeated their success in the second Test, securing a historic series victory.

This series win is Bangladesh's first Test series triumph (with two matches or more) against a team other than Zimbabwe and the West Indies, as per the ICC. The victory catapulted Bangladesh to No. 4 in the ICC World Test Championship standings with a 45.83 points percentage, surpassing England.

Beginning the fifth day on 42/0, needing 143 more runs to win, Bangladesh started cautiously. They added 80 runs in the morning but lost both openers quickly. The experienced duo of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque steadied the innings with a 57-run partnership. Despite losing wickets, veteran players Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan guided Bangladesh to victory.

In the first innings, after fielding first, Bangladesh restricted Pakistan to 274 runs, thanks to Mehidy Hasan Miraz's five-wicket haul and Taskin Ahmed's three wickets. Despite a narrow lead, Pakistan collapsed for 172 in the second innings, setting a target of 185 runs, which Bangladesh achieved with ease, despite interruptions due to poor weather and bad light.

(With inputs from agencies.)