"There's a lot to play for in the World Test Championship": Pakistan skipper Shan Masood
Aug 11, 2024
New Delhi [India], August 11 : Ahead of his side's upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood said on Sunday that their effort would be to make the "best use" of the home advantage.
With two wins from their five Tests so far, Pakistan have a point percentage of 36.66, which has placed them below India, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the World Test Championship (WTC).
Speaking ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh, Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood acknowledged as much, stating that the side would look to make the best of their home advantage.
"There's a lot to play for in the World Test Championship. The top two places are yet to be decided, and it can still go with any side," Masood was quoted by ICC as saying.
Pakistan will take on Bangladesh, England, West Indies, and South Africa in the upcoming months for their upcoming Test matches.
"Our effort would be to make the best use of the home advantage in our seven Tests. And obviously, even in South Africa, we can gain points and win a series, which is a great opportunity for us," he added.
Masood went on to discuss PCB's new coaching appointments, especially in the Test format, where Jason Gillespie takes over as the head coach, and Tim Nielsen takes the role of red-ball high-performance coach.
"The recent appointments of Jason Gillespie and Tim Nielson are an exciting opportunity for Pakistan cricket. Two experienced coaches have come in both white-ball and red-ball cricket for us, they were big players in their respective fields," the Pakistan Test skipper added.
"It's an exciting opportunity for us, as players, to get exposure to Gillespie, Nielsen, and Gary Kirsten [white-ball head coach]," he further added.
Pakistan's Test series against Bangladesh will begin on August 21 in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, Saud Shakeel has been named as the new Pakistan Test vice-captan ahead of the series.
