Former England cricketer David Lloyd recently shared his views on Shan Masood's captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team. He believes that Masood lacks the qualities needed to lead effectively, especially against strong teams like England.
Lloyd described Masood as a "reactive captain" and compared him unfavourably to Pakistan's legendary leaders from the past.
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What is David Lloyd's opinion on Shan Masood?
In an interview, Lloyd explained that Masood does not show the proactive leadership necessary to handle aggressive opponents.
He pointed out that Masood's style could be a disadvantage when facing teams like England, which play an aggressive form of cricket known as 'Bazball' under captain Ben Stokes.
He highlighted that a captain must anticipate the moves of the opposition to be effective. Lloyd referred to former greats like Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, noting that Masood does not possess the same leadership qualities.
"Shan Masood is a reactive captain, not a proactive captain. I have seen his captaincy for Yorkshire. He is not like Pakistan's former captains Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Inzamam-ul-Haq, or Misbah-ul-Haq," said Lloyd.
"Shan doesn’t have any steel in him, as I’ve seen him captaining at Yorkshire."
— M (@anngrypakiistan) October 12, 2024
"Shan is mostly a reactive captain, not a proactive one."
David Lloyd on Shan's captaincy
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What are the challenges faced by Shan Masood?
Shan Masood became Pakistan's Test captain after Babar Azam stepped down following the ODI World Cup in 2023. His captaincy has faced challenges right from the start.
In his first series against Australia, Pakistan suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat. This was followed by another disappointing loss, a 2-0 series defeat to Bangladesh at home.
Recently, the team suffered another heavy loss in the 1st Test against England in Multan. Despite Pakistan managing an impressive total of 556 runs in their first innings, they lost the match by an innings and 47 runs.
Under Masood's captaincy, Pakistan has yet to win a Test match. He has lost all six matches he has led, marking an unwanted record for the team. Despite criticism, Masood retains his position as captain, backed by head coach Jason Gillespie.
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Lloyd reiterated that to compete against England's aggressive style, Masood must adopt a more proactive approach. He stated, "Playing against Bazball, you have to be proactive. I am not sure Shan Masood is that sort of person."
The second Test against England will be a critical test for Shan Masood as he tries to improve his captaincy and help Pakistan turn their fortunes around.
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