Shan Masood After Defeat Against West Indies
Masood also praised his players for their commitment and willingness to face challenging situations despite a disappointing batting display
Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, opened up following his side’s 120-run defeat to the West Indies in the second and final Test of the series. The loss not only leveled the series 1-1 but also marked West Indies’ first Test victory on Pakistan soil since 1990.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Masood admitted to several shortcomings in Pakistan’s performance while highlighting key lessons for the team to build upon.
“I think the only option left was to bring the fast bowler on and have a crack [on whether he could have done anything better on the first day]. They batted well, but that’s something that we have to learn. We have struggled to get the tail out here, something that we did well in Australia,” Masood said.
The skipper acknowledged the team’s inability to capitalize on strong positions, pointing to the first day’s performance as a turning point in the match.
“Even in the game we lost right now, the first day, we were in a position where we wanted to be. Just one bad performance led to a domino effect, but you can’t forget the way we have played right through. We have realized that one extra partnership can have a big effect on games, that’s what we want to learn quickly,” he added.
Masood also praised his players for their commitment and willingness to face challenging situations despite a disappointing batting display.
It’s a game of all stakeholders. Appreciate the players to be willing to throw themselves into the den without being used to it [on their batting failure],” he remarked.
While reflecting on positives, Masood highlighted some individual performances during the series.
“We did win 3 of the 4 Tests on such pitches. We did well in the first session here as well. It’s important to see some encouraging signs—when Saud and Rizzy got their fifties, I got a 60-ball fifty in the first Test, Babar contributed as well. We might not get those big hundreds, but you need to be proactive. Brathwaite took the game on with his 50, and that’s what we need to be aware of and probably be better going further,” Masood stated.
West Indies’ spin attack, led by Jomel Warrican and Kevin Sinclair, played a pivotal role in their triumph. Chasing 254 on the third day, Pakistan resumed at 76/4 but succumbed to relentless spin pressure, folding for just 133 runs.
The visitors dominated the hosts with Warrican taking 5/27, Sinclair claiming three wickets, and Gudakesh Motie grabbing two. Pakistan’s batting faltered despite brief resistance from Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha, who added a 39-run partnership before the final collapse.
The defeat also ends Pakistan’s WTC cycle at the bottom, with a percentage of 27.98, while West Indies finished eighth, just above Pakistan, with 28.21%.
