Masood Advocates for Turning Pitches in Domestic Cricket to Sharpen Batters' Skills
Masood Advocates for Turning Pitches in Domestic Cricket to Sharpen Batters’ Skills
Pakistan captain Shan Masood said that he was expecting the team to continue their recent practice of preparing pitches that heavily favor spin bowlers, a strategy known as ‘heavy turning the tracks ‘.
He believed thhe expectedat this approach, which had been successful in recent domestic matches, would be replicated in the upcoming domestic cricket season.
After a loss of 120-run defeat in the home match to West Indies that levelled the series at 1-1, and affirmed Pakistan’s place at the lowest point in the latest World Test Championship cycle, Masood maintained there were ‘encouraging signs’ that Pakistan intend to build upon.
“Domestic cricket will be played like this,” the Player declared. “We’ve already talked about this. The more we’ll play the better we’ll get at it. We’ve shown encouraging signs. After the four matches, we’ve won three in these conditions. We dominated the first hour of the first day, which could have swung the match in our favour. It’s just about winning those key moments and ensuring we’re consistent with these conditions domestically and internationally.”
Since Pakistan fell in the one-off Test in the first series against England on a sloppy wicket in Multan, the country has returned to making tracks that heavily favor spin bowlers. This match, which was played on a pitch that was difficult for both batting and bowling, was a turning point for the team’s strategy.
The past four home Tests have witnessed Pakistan score 80 wickets, with only one of them falling to a seamer. Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali have been the dominant bowlers, taking 70 wickets out of 80 and often in the middle of bowlers every innings. They have helped turn around Pakistan’s poor home form and allowed Pakistan to knock off England by a score of 2-1 at home, and ease to victory in the opening Test in the series against West Indies. In this Test, however, spinners from the visitors have turned the tables on their left-arm spinner, Jomel Warrican of West Indies, walking home with the Player of the Match and Series award.
“It’s an all-inclusive game for all players. We must thank the players for putting themselves into the den and not being subjected to these conditions. We know we haven’t played cricket at home under these conditions. In a way, it’s a form of bravery to be exposed to the conditions. We’ve practiced in the past, but this is a new experience for us. However, we must duplicate this at home cricket, allowing our batters to play in these weather conditions.
We need to score runs from the. For the 4th innings, any score above 150 is considered a competitive score, which means spinners will always be ahead. “An inevitable consequence of these surfaces is the disproportionate importance of the toss. In all four instances, the team winning the toss was the one that batted first and won three times.
However, while Pakistan could have flipped the pattern to beat England in the final match of the series, West Indies’ win further demonstrated how the pitches can tilt towards the side that bowls last. However, it wasn’t like that in the first hour. Pakistan bowled for the first half hour, having decreased West Indies to 54 for eight wickets.
Letting the game slip by their fingers. This was the most frustrating for Masood the most. “We did not get the result we had hoped for. But the good thing is that when you start with the first wicket, you know the fourth innings will be tough. Therefore, you attempt to keep the opposition at bay during the initial innings.
We were able to bowl well to take the opening eight wickets. However, we’ve spoken about the first innings of batting and bowling in tandem to do well, and you’ll have an advantage during the 3rd and 4th innings. Considering our bowling, batting, and errors, it was a critical moment, as their two last wickets cost us a lot of money.
“Then, with the bat, we went from 119 for 4 to 154 all out.
When these collapses happen and the other side puts on partnerships, they can set you back. If we’d got them out early and got a 100-run lead, the Test match would be completely different. With Test matches on these pitches, you can’t wait to make a move, because things are decided on day one, and that is where you can win or lose matches.”
This marks the conclusion of a period that has not been pleasant for Pakistan and the country’s leader.
Pakistan is losing nine times in the last 12 matches, with all home and away and four out of 7 in their home. Although they started with a crushing win away at home in Sri Lanka, they have been ranked last in the WTC table and will not have a Test in almost nine months.
Masood admitted that Pakistan was not up to expectations. However, he was not convinced that the team required a complete overhaul, noting that small margins were the key factor during this Test and could be improved.
“The tail not getting wickets is an area of concern, and we need to finish off sides quicker,” Masood declared and echoed his anger in South Africa, where the final two wickets putting up too many runs, cost them dearly in the opening test at Centurion.
“Against Australia, who have the most impressive tail, the Australians were able to get the wickets cheaply however not here as well, or in opposition to Bangladesh and South Africa. “Batters have been active; however, we require more contribution. It’s unlikely to get hundreds here, but the 30s and 40s help create the conditions that are winning. Kraigg Brathwaite is a great model. He was a great player. One batter must perform better in these conditions, mainly when the ball is new.
Masood emphasized that the team’s success is not about holding someone responsible. It’s not an accountability bureau, but a team effort. He pointed out that the team’s mistake was in the first two innings, which set them back and gave the opposition a degree of freedom.
He believes that with a 100-run lead, the opposition would not have been able to play in the way they did. This stress on the team’s unity and collective responsibility should make the audience feel connected to the team’s journey.
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