Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood, offered his assessment following his team's surprising 10-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Masood openly acknowledged the team’s miscalculations, particularly in reading the pitch and relying on their pacers to deliver in challenging conditions.
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What went wrong for Pakistan in the match?
The match initially seemed to favour Pakistan, who declared their first innings at 448/6 after rain had delayed play on the opening day. The early declaration was a strategic move aimed at putting pressure on Bangladesh, but it backfired.
The visitors responded with an exceptional batting display, securing a 117-run lead. Mushfiqur Rahim’s 191 runs were pivotal, alongside significant contributions from Shadman Islam and others, which left Pakistan struggling to regain control.
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In their second innings, Pakistan faltered dramatically, managing only 146 runs as the pitch began to turn and assist the spinners. This left Bangladesh with a modest target of 30 runs, which they chased down comfortably, handing Pakistan a crushing defeat.
What did Shan Masood say about Pakistan’s performance
In the post-match presentation, Masood was forthright about the team’s shortcomings. He admitted that they had misjudged the pitch, expecting it to offer more support to the fast bowlers, especially after the rain in the days leading up to the match.
“Never to make an excuse, it (the pitch) didn't play the way we thought it would. Also, the weather it had been around in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, it rained around 8-9 days before the first day of play. Firstly looking at the pitch, we expected it to do a bit more. With three pace bowlers, they were gonna be pushed to the limit. At the end of the day, we got it wrong," Masood said in the post-match presentation.
The captain also reflected on the decision to declare early, explaining that it was intended to push the game forward. However, he conceded that in hindsight, this move, coupled with the team’s underwhelming performance both with the ball and in the field, contributed to their downfall.
"Hindsight, looking at the declaration, we wanted to push the game forward. Also with the ball and in the field, we could have done better to keep them at par,” he added.
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What next for the Pakistan cricket team?
Pakistan will aim to save the series and come back strongly with a win as they face Bangladesh in the second and final Test of the series starting August 30.
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