‘There’s stuff we can’t control’- Shan Masood on Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi being dropped for 2nd Test vs England

Shan Masood spoke out on the significant roster changes made for Pakistan’s second Test match against England, which began in Multan on Tuesday, October 15. After losing the first Test by an innings and 47 runs, the hosts benched seasoned players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed after the humbling loss. The debutant Kamran Ghulam took Babar’s spot, and spinners Noman Ali and Sajib Khan rejoined the team.

Shan Masood responded by saying that his team has no influence over the adjustments.

Ahead of the second Test, he discussed the optimism in the camp as Pakistan attempts to level the playing field in the three-match series.

“I think firstly playing a Test match for Pakistan is a huge opportunity for anyone who wants to be a cricketer so we’re all excited and there’s some rejuvenated energy in the camp,” Shan Masood stated during the toss.

“We have control over our actions on the field, but there are other things we cannot control. We have a lot of confidence in this. He went on to say, “We’re glad the spinners have certain conditions where we can show we have some decent spinners.”

Saim Ayub and Kamran Ghulam revive Pakistan’s innings following Jack Leach’s two-run goal.

At the Multan Cricket Stadium, Masood chose to bat first after winning the toss. This strip was used for the first Test match. The opening batsmen for Pakistan, Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique, were cautious in order to avoid being hit by Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse’s new-ball bomb. However, in the tenth over, Pakistan fell to 19/2 when Jack Leach removed the two hitters in his opening two overs.

Also Read: ‘It should have been Babar’s call’- Ramiz Raja on senior batter’s exclusion from remaining England Test series

Ghulam and Ayub have since teamed up, and together they have helped the home team surpass the 100-run milestone. In order to assist Pakistan in posting a substantial first innings total, both hitters will attempt to turn their half-centuries into three-figure scores.