Shan Masood resolute to ‘change history’ on Australia Test tour

Shan Masood is resolute to ‘change history’ on Australia Test tour!

The newly appointed Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood addressed a press conference ahead of the team’s departure for Australia on Wednesday.

The Test series will kick off with the first match to be played in Perth on December 14, followed by Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7).

Masood maintained that the team for the Australia Test tour was selected under “due process” and his job was made easier as everyone was on the same page.

“When you have not achieved something in history, then you have an opportunity to change it,” he told a news conference in Lahore ahead of the team’s departure.

“So we will make an effort to produce positive results for Pakistan and for the World Test championship,” he added.

Test skipper hinted that the team would stick with the opening pair of Abdullah Shafique and Imam Ul Haq and he would bat at number 3.

“Babar Azam is the best batter in the side and you build your team around your best batter so his position will not be tinkered with. Similar to Saim, Khurram Shehzad and Mir Hamza have been awarded for their domestic performances. As for Haris Rauf, you can request for a player but the discretion lies with the player and if they are unavailable, you have to make peace with it,” he said.

The skipper said that they “will not be making many changes to the settled team” but the squad will travel to Australia “with the intent to win so that will reflect in how the team plays”.

“When the team is settled, you only make changes if conditions or injuries demand it. We may drop a spinner to play an extra batter but we have to keep in mind that you need five bowlers to take 20 wickets in a Test match so our priority would be fielding a team that can score runs and take 20 wickets in each game.

As a team, we will take responsibility for the result and try to learn from our mistakes every day while we are on the tour,” said Masood.

“We need to score 400 and then take 20 wickets,” Masood said of what was required, adding, “We did not do that on our last tour in 2019, so that is the goal.”

He also admitted that Australia would be high on confidence.

“The positive thing will be to have the belief to play well, and all those playing contribute to give Australia some tough times,” he said.

Test Skipper also insisted the tourists had prepared well for the series.

“We tried to replicate the Australian conditions in our training camp in Rawalpindi, which has a bouncy pitch,” he said.

Shah Masood also welcomed the appointment of former England skipper Adam Hollioake, who coaches in Australia, as the team’s new batting coach.

“Teams hire people who have local knowledge, and he is an expert in Australian conditions so his appointment will help us to apply ourselves in those conditions,” Masood said.

He also backed his predecessor Babar to have a big tour, saying the team’s batting “will go around him”.

“We want to play the type of cricket that our fans enjoy — a good and fighting brand,” he said.