Shan Masood backs Babar Azam to carry PSL form into Tests
As Pakistan prepare to face Bangladesh in the opening Test of the two-match series on April 8 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood stated on Wednesday (May 7) that he expects Babar Azam to carry his recent form into the longer format.
Babar, who hasn't hit a century in a Test since 2022, had a strong PSL season, scoring 588 runs in 11 matches at an average of 73.02 and a strike rate of 145.90 to help Peshawar Zalmi win the championship. He is, in my opinion, one of Pakistan's greatest batsmen.
Since runs give a batsman crucial confidence, having him score runs is always beneficial. He is entering this series with a significant number of runs from the PSL, so it is a very good time for us.
Masood stated, "We are anticipating Babar to replicate those performances in these Test matches." Masood believed that Babar's experience would enable him to seamlessly transition from Twenty20 cricket to Test play. He stated, "Look, I think again, what matters is the present, and in the present moment he is returning with quite a few runs in his account."
He continued, "And he's one of the best players in the world, and he has that adjustment that he can bring the same form from T20 matches into Test matches." In addition, Masood acknowledged the difficulty posed by Bangladesh's pace attack and insisted that Pakistan was prepared for the opposition and conditions. "Their pace attack is very good, probably their best I've seen. "Because both units are of high quality, we won't compare them," Masood stated.
"The team is actually a very stable unit when you look at it. Our "engine room" is the middle order. Injuries or incapacity have accounted for the majority of top-order shifts. For instance, "to give Abdullah Shafique a break, we only rested him once," he stated. "For a number of years, players like Imam-ul-Haq have been a part of this settled unit. We have the best chance to succeed because they bring experience and a track record of scoring runs in various conditions.
Masood went on to say that Pakistan had prepared their squad for the series for a variety of conditions. "The pitch currently has grass on it, and that will likely be its condition tomorrow. Over the past two years, we have played in a variety of environments, including South Africa and Australia. We prepared wickets similar to this one even when Bangladesh invaded Pakistan.
"We created a 16-man team with options for both spin and seam conditions," he stated. Masood also ruled out the possibility that Pakistan would enter the series hoping to exact revenge on Bangladesh for their historic away victory against them in 2024. "We don't think of our side when we hear words like "revenge." The Bangladesh team deserves credit for the way they prepared and played in 2024.
"They showed the skill and ability to fight back and win the Test match even when we were on top, such as when they were 26 for 6," he stated. "We will not be taken lightly by any opposition. We place a strong emphasis on our own method and style of playing cricket. Once we are in a position to win, our goal is to be the team that wins games," he said.
