Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, has emphasized the importance of establishing a winning mentality at home for the team’s long-term success. He believes that until Pakistan can consistently triumph on home soil, they cannot aspire to qualify for the World Test Championship final.
Masood’s appointment as Test captain followed Babar Azam’s resignation after Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup. Since international cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019, the Test side has struggled to make an impact at home. Australia and England have both comfortably won series in Pakistan, while the hosts have also failed to defeat New Zealand.
Critics have accused the PCB and team management of preparing flat pitches against Australia, England, and New Zealand in 2022-23, fearing defeats. Pakistan’s last Test series win came against South Africa in January 2021.
Masood believes that Pakistan’s lack of home advantage stems from their decade-long isolation from international cricket. “In Test cricket, you have to be familiar with certain conditions,” he said. “We still haven’t found our ideal way of playing at home that suits our batting, bowling, and overall style.”
Pakistan’s red-ball head coach, former Australian pace bowler Jason Gillespie, hopes that playing seven out of nine Tests at home this season will help the team find the right formula. “I think we still need to figure out exactly what surfaces we want to be playing on which gives us the edge,” said Gillespie.
Masood is determined to create conditions that favor Pakistan’s strengths. “We need to determine how we can create conditions that suit us more and put us in the driving seat, rather than just thinking about how we can cope with the opposition,” he said.
Pakistan’s upcoming international assignments in July will provide a crucial test for Masood and his team. If they can establish a winning habit at home, they will take a significant step towards their goal of becoming a formidable unit on the international stage.
