Masood, Gillespie advocate for more Test cricket for Pakistan

Pakistan's Test captain Shan Masood has emphasized the need for Pakistan to play more Test cricket to foster consistency and growth in the format, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Masood, speaking on the PCB podcast alongside test coach Jason Gillespie, highlighted the negative impact of the long gaps between test matches on the team's progress.

He pointed out that the upcoming Tests against Bangladesh would be Pakistan's first since their New Year's test in Sydney earlier this year.

Once they complete the series against the West Indies in January 2025, Pakistan will not play another test until October, when South Africa will visit, he elaborated.

“Following that, there will be no tests until a series against Bangladesh in March 2026.”

Pakistan's test season kicks off with a two-match series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on August 21, followed by a packed schedule that includes five more tests at home against England and West Indies, and an away series in South Africa.

This season stands out as a rarity, marking the first time in over 25 years that Pakistan will play such a large number of tests in a single season, the last being in 1998-99 when they played ten matches.

Masood and Gillespie argued that the irregular and sporadic nature of this scheduling has created a significant gap between the "Big Three" of India, Australia, and England, and other full members.

This sentiment has been echoed by other cricketers, including West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who made a similar appeal after his team's 3-0 series loss to England last month.

"We need more test cricket," Masood said, stressing the importance of consistent scheduling and reducing the gaps between test matches. "We play a lot of domestic cricket, so I don't think we can blame that.

We do play ten first-class matches minimum, and with the introduction of departmental cricket, some players ended up playing 16-17 first-class matches in a year."

 Masood also pointed out the challenges posed by the current schedule, where Pakistan has to play nine test matches in four months, but had a ten-month gap between their last test in Australia and their upcoming series.

"These are challenges that Pakistan cricket needs to address going forward," he added.

Masood, who took over the Test captaincy from Babar Azam last year, faced a tough first assignment in Australia, where Pakistan was whitewashed.

However, he believed that the first step towards improvement is to become more formidable at home.