Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, has defended his team’s selection and performance, particularly in light of comparisons between Abdullah Shafique and Indian batting legend Virat Kohli.
Masood faced a barrage of questions at a press conference on Monday, where he was grilled about his captaincy and the selection of underperforming players. Despite retaining Masood as captain for the upcoming home series against England, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and selectors have faced criticism, leading to the resignation of selector Mohammad Yousuf.
Addressing the media, Masood acknowledged Pakistan’s poor performance in 2024 but emphasized the need for objectivity in assessing the team. He pointed out that Shafique’s statistics in his first 19 Tests are superior to Kohli’s at the same stage of his career.
“I don’t think your question is accurate,” Masood said in response to a query about inconsistent players. “I agree that Pakistan hasn’t played good cricket in 2024, but we shouldn’t mix and compare Tests with T20Is.”
Masood’s comparison of Shafique’s record to Kohli’s drew attention, although Shafique has played four more innings than Kohli did in his first 19 Tests.
