Victory possible through positive intent, says Shan Masood ahead of Bangladesh Tests

• Pakistan would have to win most of the matches to win WTC: Shan. 
• Says players in every department will have to show positive intent.
• Test matches will take place from Aug 21-25 and Aug 30 to Sept 3. 

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood on Sunday said the team members would have to show a positive intent for victory in the two Bangladesh Test matches.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, Masood said the Men in Green would have to win most of the matches from their nine remaining games in order to win the World Test Championship (WTC).

“If we have to compete in the World Test Championship then we will have to win [matches] and for a victory [players in] every department — batting, bowling or fielding — will have to show some positive intent,” he said.

The WTC started in 2023 and will culminate in England in summer 2025. Pakistan have won two of its five Test matches so far and have nine more to go.

Bangladesh will feature in the two WTC matches against Pakistan scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi and Karachi from August 21 to August 25 and August 30 to September 3, respectively.

In response to a query, the Test skipper admitted that a lot of changes had taken place in the team management. However, he said, players were mostly the same.

“So mindset, I don’t think, would be much changed,” Masood said, giving example of the 2023 Test series in Sri Lanka, wherein Pakistan conclusively demolished their opponents.

“If you look at the Sri Lanka series that we won in their home ground last year, we had changed our mindset as a batting unit. Our bowlers also gave remarkable performances, as not only spinners, but our fast bowlers also took scalps there,” he said.

Masood said the team’s core was almost the same. The main set of players was the same, with some changes in the squad, he added, reminding everyone that an exciting opportunity lied ahead of them.

“We will try to go and play with the same mindset. We will make an effort to bring about a positive result for the country. The team is trying its level best to prepare for the Bangladesh series,” he said.

Masood said they would not take Bangladesh lightly.

He also regretted that Pakistan had not played a Test match in last 10 months, saying it was unfortunately a long time.

As the nation is rejoicing over Arshad Nadeem’s Olympic gold medal in men’s javelin, he said the Green Shirts would try to give the nation contentment like Nadeem.