Shan Masood Reveals Fitness as Key to Pakistan's Test Cricket Revival

Test captain Shan Masood outlines the necessary improvements for Pakistan to excel in red-ball cricket ahead of their series against England. Highlighting both physical and mental fitness, Shan emphasizes the need to support players despite recent setbacks and details a new approach to squad selection.

Test captain Shan Masood has pinpointed the critical improvements needed for Pakistan to ascend in red-ball cricket as they prepare for their three-match series against England. Since succeeding Babar Azam, Masood has seen his team undergo a tumultuous period, marred by a 3-0 series defeat in Australia and an unprecedented loss to Bangladesh on home soil.

Under his leadership, Pakistan faced harsh criticism for their underwhelming performances. In a press conference cited by Geo News, Masood stressed the importance of enhancing both physical and mental fitness to match other top teams globally. "Our conditioning should be on par with other top teams in the world. We've learnt a lot about our physical and mental condition, and it's clear that improvements are needed," he remarked.

Persistent challenges haven't deterred Masood's resolve. While former cricketers call for changes, he advocates for backing the players to foster improvement. Masood, reflecting on his captaincy tenure, acknowledged it hasn't been ideal but reinforced the need for accountability with defeat. Signaling a new direction, Pakistan announced a squad for the opening Test, factoring in players' fitness levels, with the first match against England commencing on October 7 in Multan.

(With inputs from agencies.)