Shan Masood aims for WTC final ahead of Bangladesh series

As Pakistan gears up for their two-Test series against Bangladesh, captain Shan Masood emphasized his team's ambition to reach the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Masood stressed that while Pakistan is committed to playing an entertaining brand of cricket, getting the right results in Test matches is their top priority.

Masood targets WTC final amidst packed home season

Shan Masood, who took over as Pakistan’s Test captain last year, acknowledged the importance of their home series in 2024-25 for securing a place in the WTC final. Pakistan has a packed schedule, playing seven home Tests this season. After the two matches against Bangladesh, they will host England for a three-Test series in October, followed by two Tests against the West Indies in January 2025. Masood is determined to make the most of these opportunities and believes that strong performances in home conditions are key to achieving WTC success.

"Look, I think, first of all. You want your fans and media to write good things about the team. That's why one of our focuses is to play cricket everyone enjoys watching. It's a result-oriented business at the end of the day. You have to have results on your mind," Shan Masood said.

Pakistan, who have struggled in the past WTC cycles, finishing outside the top four in both the 2019-21 and 2021-23 editions, are currently sixth in the standings. With India leading the table and Australia in second place, Pakistan has work to do, but Masood remains optimistic about turning their fortunes around.

"And for us again, we have to look at our position in the World Test Championship. Yes, it was sixth and seventh before. Yes, we would like to obviously play the final this time. So if you want to play in the finals, we have to win our home Test matches. If we have to win that, we have to take 20 wickets consistently. And obviously, our batters should score enough and give the bowlers time to take those 20 wickets.

"I feel it's about playing good and exciting cricket. Look, we all want Test cricket to be fun, Test cricket to be enjoyable, both for the fans and for us players. When we play Test cricket, we want to be excited about it and bring the same enthusiasm we do in any format. Our challenge is to get the right results, and also play a brand of cricket that is consistent and exciting to everyone," he added.

All-pace attack and green top strategy for Bangladesh series

Looking ahead to the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, Shan Masood hinted at a green top pitch, favoring Pakistan's pace attack. Masood has faith in his pacers to deliver on home soil, especially after a mixed performance in the previous year. Pakistan has opted for an all-pace attack, with the captain trusting his bowlers and batters to execute their roles effectively.

While Pakistan's previous overseas tours, including a 3-0 loss to Australia under Masood's leadership, presented challenges, the team earned praise for their competitive brand of cricket. Masood is eager to replicate that intensity on home turf, but with a sharper focus on securing victories.

See Also: https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/australia-batter-steve-smith-has-no-plan-to-retire-now/

As the Test series against Bangladesh kicks off, all eyes will be on Pakistan to see if they can make a strong push towards the WTC final, starting with a much-needed series win at home.