Ali simple has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood ahead of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which begins on Wednesday, August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. This series is part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25.
Ahead of the first Test in Rawalpindi, the former Pakistan Basit has accused Shan Masood of becoming a mere ‘yes-man’ for new coach Jason Gillespie. Basit believes that the Pakistan captain is simply abiding by Gillespie’s decisions and making the same mistakes that led to Babar Azam struggling as captain in the traditional format of the game.
Shan Masood has become a man who always says yes to everything: Basit Ali
It is noteworthy that Gillespie, the former Australian player, took charge of the Pakistan Test team earlier this year, and the upcoming two-match Test series will be his first assignment. However, Ali criticised the decision-making process ahead of the home Test series against Bangladesh.
Basit Ali said in his latest video on his YouTube channel: “Shan Masood has become a man who always says yes to everything; it is a shame. He is making the same mistakes as Babar after being reinstated as captain.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan announced their starting XI for the opening match of the two-match series against the Bangladesh cricket team on Tuesday, August 21. This selection has been met with a lot of criticism as many argue that it lacks balance and might not help the team’s long-term goals.
Here is Pakistan’s starting XI for the first Test against Bangladesh:
Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel (VC), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali.
Well, the former Pakistan coach’s criticism extends beyond the team selection for the Rawalpindi Test against the Tigers as he questioned the overall management of the Pakistan cricket team. Basit went on to suggest that if Pakistan wins a match or a series against Bangladesh, the team management will go ballistic over their decisions, but what if they fail?
Former Pakistan coach Ali has warned that the Pakistan team could face a tough reality check in their upcoming Test series against England. According to Ali, the upcoming three-match Test series against England will really test the effectiveness of the current strategies and reveal flaws in the team’s approach.
Pakistan has been mocked: Ali
Basit concluded by saying: ““Pakistan have been made fun of. Now they will win against Bangladesh and say that we made the right decisions. The fans will also say that the team management made great decisions. When England come, you will know the reality.”
It is noteworthy that the Test series between Pakistan and England will be played in October 2024. Before Ali, several former Pakistani players like Kamran Akmal and Tanveer Ahmed criticised the team selection.
Now, all eyes will be on how Shan Masood and Gillespie will handle the challenges ahead and whether their decisions will prove successful or lead to further scrutiny as they are already facing a lot of criticism due to their string of poor performances across formats for a long time.