Shan Masood on Saim Ayub: 'We Want to Give Him a Fair Chance' in the First Test Against Bangladesh

Pakistan captain Shan Masood on Saim Ayub explained that the decision to pick Ayub as an opener for the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi was made to ensure continuity. While Muhammad Hurraira was considered for selection, the 22-year-old will have to wait for his international debut despite his impressive domestic performances, including a recent double-century against a Bangladesh High Performance XI.

Hurraira’s domestic achievements have been remarkable, with 986 runs at an average of 58 in his debut season in 2021-22, including a triple-hundred. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, who scored 0 and 33 in his only Test against Australia earlier this year, has shown potential. Masood emphasized the importance of backing players like Ayub to maintain team continuity.

"We have plenty of riches in our opening batting," Shan Masood on Saim Ayub stated. "Imam-ul-Haq isn't in this series. We don't limit ourselves to 17 players. We have 20-25 players who are part of our squad. We initially felt that it was our ideal chance to check Muhammad Hurraira - what he could offer the Pakistan team after doing so well in domestic cricket in the last three or four years. We rested Imam in this series. Saim, who is in good touch now, showed potential in the second innings against Australia. As a team, you have to send a message of continuity. So we will try to back the players. We want to give him a fair chance."

Pakistan will enter the series against Bangladesh with an all-pace attack, a rare choice for the team. The conditions in Rawalpindi have influenced this strategy, as Shan Masood on Saim Ayub highlighted. The inclusion of Mohammad Ali, who has excelled in both PSL and domestic cricket, aims to replicate the role played by Aamer Jamal in Australia. Ali’s 19 wickets in PSL 2024, coupled with his consistent domestic performance, made him a prime candidate for selection.

Masood elaborated, "Firstly, you have to look at a few factors. You have to take into account Pakistan's position in the WTC. We at least have to win the home matches. Secondly, you have to look at the ground conditions. Thirdly, we have to look at our team combination. We considered Aamer Jamal as a weapon in Australia. When the other three fast bowlers showed discipline, Aamer Jamal used to attack. He got crucial wickets in the middle overs. He used to eliminate Australia's tail, which usually makes the difference by scoring 80-90 runs. As Shaheen [Shah Afridi] and Naseem [Shah] will take the new ball, we wanted someone to bowl like Aamer Jamal. I think Mohammad Ali gave us the surprise element in the PSL but we have been seeing it for a long time. He hits the deck hard. He has the quality to move the ball with the seam and in the air. He has extra pace too."

Pakistan is eager to improve its standing in the World Test Championship (WTC) and aims to reach the finals this time. Reflecting on this goal, Shan Masood on Saim Ayub shared, "I think you want your fans and media to write good things about the team. We want to play cricket that everyone enjoys watching. Obviously, it is a result-oriented business so you need to have results in mind. We were sixth and seventh before [in the WTC], but we would like to play in the final this time. We want to play finals. We have to win our home Tests. Our challenge is to play consistently and play an exciting brand of cricket."

This Test series will be Pakistan's first under the guidance of coach Jason Gillespie. Masood expressed hope that the new coaching staff would align their strategies with Pakistan’s strengths, particularly fast bowling. "We have a different coaching staff," Shan Masood on Saim Ayub commented. "They bring a different mindset and culture but we also have to look at where we have to go as a side. I think fast bowling has been Pakistan's strength. We have six quality fast bowlers. You need 20 wickets to win a Test. That's a non-negotiable. Our goal is to get those 20 wickets and then batters can back up the bowlers. That's how we went into the Australia series, and that's how we will go into this series."