Mirpur: Bangladesh lost the opening match of the Test series against Bangladesh by 104 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
The win marked Bangladesh’s first Test win against Pakistan on home soil since a 2-0 whitewash in Rawalpindi in 2024.
Chasing Bangladesh’s target of 268, the visitors were bowled out for 163 in 52.5 overs.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Masood reflected on Pakistan’s overall performance and admitted that his team failed to create a positive atmosphere after opting to bowl first in the opening Test.
“(At the end of the toss) hindsight is 20/20. We looked at the conditions and we had better conditions in terms of seam bowling,” Masood said.
“We got two early wickets. But we didn’t capitalize on it in the first innings and then we didn’t capitalize with the bat. We could have pushed for more runs. But we had to do better with bat and ball in the first innings,” he added.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining pressure in Test cricket, saying that despite showing commitment after returning to form after a six-month layoff, the team was unable to take control of the match.
“You can never question effort, especially when you play Test cricket after six months. Test cricket teaches you on surfaces like this, you have to push the opposition away when you have the game in hand, but we failed to do that,” he said.
Masood also lauded debutants Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal for showing composure and maturity at the highest level, while expressing confidence in their long-term potential in Test cricket.
“(The debutants) were very happy. When we picked them, we picked them because of their ability to play at this level. Their maturity was good. The thing for them is, can they be consistent in Test cricket? I think they have the potential to do that. We have to do that when we get opportunities to stamp your authority,” he concluded.