Shan blames Rawalpindi pitch for historic loss against Bangladesh

 Pakistan's Test captain, Shan Masood has acknowledged the tactical errors that led to his team's historic defeat against Bangladesh in the first Test in Rawalpindi, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

In a post-match press conference, Masood admitted that the team made several erroneous assumptions about the conditions, which ultimately contributed to their downfall.

“The decision to field four pacers instead of a more balanced attack was one of the critical miscalculations, he said adding that the Rawalpindi pitch, which Pakistan anticipated would favor fast bowlers, turned out to be more conducive to spin, with Bangladesh's spinners claiming nine wickets during the match. “Seven of those crucial dismissals came on the final day, leading to Pakistan's collapse for just 146 runs in their third innings.”

Masood explained that the team had expected the pitch to behave differently, with more assistance for their fast bowlers. Additionally, unpredictable weather patterns influenced their decision-making.

Although rain interrupted play on the first day, the weather remained largely favorable for the remainder of the match, contrary to Pakistan's expectations.

 "Looking at the pitch, we expected it to do more. If we played three fast bowlers, we would be pushing them to the limit, and the spinner would be bowling 25-30 overs a day, which we wanted to avoid. We thought that with the weather, it may not even last the full five days. At the end of the day, we got it wrong," Masood remarked.

The captain also reflected on the decision to declare their first innings on Day 2, which now seems questionable in hindsight.

Masood defended the declaration, explaining that it was a strategic move intended to push the game forward and set up a strong position for Pakistan.

However, the plan backfired as the team was unable to capitalize on the momentum.

The reason for the declaration was a positive push—to push the game forward and hopefully have a crack at them in the fourth innings.

We could have done with those runs, but there were also things with the ball and in the field that we could’ve done better to either take a lead or keep them at par," Masood added.