Mirpur: Pakistan captain Shan Masood on Thursday dismissed the notion that the Green Shirts will go into the two-match series against Bangladesh looking to avenge their first defeat at home against the Tigers in 2024.
Speaking at a pre-series press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, which will host the inaugural Test from May 8 to 12, Masood insisted that the tour team would not engage in any world of revenge and instead outplayed Bangladesh in 2024 by playing “good cricket”.
“I don’t think our side will associate itself with any word of revenge. We have to give credit to Bangladesh for the way they prepared and performed in 2024. We thought we would play them well in those conditions, but they played good cricket,” Masood said.
“When they were 26 for 6, the way they bounced back from a situation where we were on top showed their talent and skill. We’re not going to take any opposition lightly.
“For us, our process is important and when we get to the winning stages, we make sure we finish the games and play a good brand of cricket.”
The upcoming series against Bangladesh marks Pakistan’s first assignment after a six-month hiatus, and their captain Masood insisted they have a well-rounded squad that can play in most situations.
“They have their own strengths and we have our own strengths. We can only judge ourselves from our own perspective. We have brought a very good squad of 16 players who can play in most situations,” Masood said.
“We are very happy with the squad we have and now we will play good cricket for 10 days. I hope whoever plays better will win the series,” he added.
The Pakistan captain acknowledged Bangladesh’s team as “very competitive and talented”, stressing that the hosts have all three departments.
“I have been involved in two previous series against Bangladesh and this side is similar to what we have faced before, very competitive and talented. They are good in all departments, be it batting, pace or spin,” said Shaun Masood.
“We enjoy challenges and we like playing strong teams in their own conditions. This is an opportunity to test our skills and come out on top.”
Notably, the series opener between Pakistan and Bangladesh is likely to be played on a green-top surface, but the tour captain is not fazed by the possible conditions, citing his experience playing in Australia and South Africa.
“The pitch has grass now and that will be its condition tomorrow. We have played in different conditions over the last two years, including in Australia and South Africa. Even when Bangladesh came to Pakistan, we prepared similar wickets. We made our 16-man squad balanced, suited to seam and spin conditions,” he said.