Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, has highlighted the importance of mastering home conditions and establishing a winning habit on home soil before setting their sights on international dominance and a coveted spot in the World Test Championship final. Speaking on a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, Masood candidly expressed the team’s ongoing quest to find the perfect formula for utilizing home advantage to secure victories.
He asserted that achieving consistent wins at home is a prerequisite for challenging for the World Test Championship final. “Unless you can win at home, you cannot hope to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship,” Masood emphasized.
Masood assumed the captaincy following Babar Azam’s decision to step down after Pakistan’s early exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup. He was subsequently retained as the red-ball skipper for upcoming international assignments in July. However, Pakistan’s Test team has faced difficulties capitalizing on home advantage since the return of international cricket to the country in 2019.
Despite the return of international cricket after a decade-long absence, Australia and England comfortably secured series victories in Pakistan, while the hosts also failed to overcome New Zealand.
In 2022-23, the PCB and team management faced criticism for preparing flat pitches against Australia, England, and New Zealand, fueled by concerns about losing matches. Pakistan’s last Test series victory came against South Africa in January 2021.
Masood underscored the crucial role of familiarity with home conditions in Test cricket. He acknowledged that the team is still seeking the winning formula after a decade of not playing at home. “Yes, we’ve been playing at home since 2019, but other teams have been playing on their home soil for much longer. We still have to decide what our best approach at home is,” he said.
He elaborated on the ongoing search for the ideal playing style that complements Pakistan’s strengths. “We still haven’t found our ideal way of playing at home that suits our batting, bowling, and overall style. That’s something we need to quickly figure out. “We need to determine how we can create conditions that suit us more and put us in the driving seat, rather than just thinking about how we can cope with the opposition?” Masood questioned.
Pakistan’s red-ball head coach, former Australian pace bowler Jason Gillespie, shares a similar sentiment, expressing optimism that playing seven out of nine Tests at home this season will help them discover the right approach. “I think we still need to figure out exactly what surfaces we want to be playing on which gives us the edge,” Gillespie stated.
With a packed home schedule ahead, Pakistan’s quest to unlock their potential on home soil and ultimately achieve international success, including a potential World Test Championship final berth, will be closely watched by cricket enthusiasts around the globe.
