fast bowlers in the red-ball team, stating that each of them brings unique strengths that can secure victories ahead of the upcoming two-test series against Bangladesh.
Masood’s team is set to play a series of red-ball matches against Bangladesh (two Tests at home), England (three Tests at home), South Africa (two Tests away), and the West Indies (two Tests at home). During the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, Masood highlighted the importance of managing the pacers’ workload, referencing Shaheen Afridi’s experience during the Test tour of Australia in December last year, where Afridi was rested for the third game due to a demanding schedule.
“You have to manage their [pacers] workload. For instance, with Shaheen Afridi in Australia — he played two consecutive Test matches, and we had to rest him for the third one because he had a heavy schedule ahead. We’ll continue to monitor that,” Masood said.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the depth of fast bowlers in the squad, Masood remarked, “The exciting part is that in our current squad, we have six exceptional fast bowlers. All six can vie for a spot in the playing XI, and each offers something unique
“Whenever it’s necessary to rest one of our premier bowlers, we have the depth to field a strong replacement, which will also provide valuable experience to those who play”
“We are confident that the new players like Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Ali, and even Aamir Jamal to an extent, will perform well when they step in. Whether it’s Shaheen, Naseem Shah, or another key bowler who is unavailable, these players can secure victories for Pakistan and achieve those crucial 20 wickets,” he added.
SCHEDULE OF PAKISTAN’S UPCOMING TEST
MATCHES
Bangladesh in Pakistan (Two Tests at home)
21-25 Aug – First Test, Rawalpindi
30 Aug-3 Sep – Second Test, Karachi
Pakistan vs England (Three Test at home)
7-11 Oct – First Test, Multan
15-19 Oct – Second Test, Karachi
24-28 Oct – Third Test, Rawalpindi
South Africa vs Pakistan (Two Tests away from home)
26-30 Dec – First Test, Centurion
3-7 Jan – Second Test, Cape Town
Pakistan vs West Indies (Two Tests)
16-20 Jan – First Test, Karachi
24-28 Jan – Second Test, Multan