Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood said on Tuesday, May 12, that his side may have handled key moments better during their opening match against Bangladesh. He pointed to decision-making errors that, in his view, ultimately swung the contest and cost Pakistan the first Test of a currently running two-game series.
Bangladesh’s turning point came through Nahid Rana, who finished with 5/40. Masood singled out Rana’s last spell as especially decisive, describing how the final burst of wickets disrupted Pakistan’s chase and changed the momentum in Mirpur.
At a glance
- Shan Masood spoke on Tuesday (May 12) about Pakistan’s decisions versus Bangladesh.
- Pakistan lost the opening Test of a two-match series to Bangladesh.
- Nahid Rana took 5/40, with a decisive final spell.
- In the second innings, Rana claimed four wickets in a 4.5-over spell.
- Pakistan were dismissed for 163 in their second innings.
- Bangladesh won by 104 runs in Mirpur.
- Pakistan were at tea with seven wickets in hand.
- Masood said Bangladesh earned their first home Test win against the visitors.
Rana’s spell came after Pakistan had looked reasonably well placed at the tea break, holding seven wickets in hand. However, once play resumed, a quick collapse followed as Rana struck and Pakistan’s tail failed to hold firm.
Masood also credited the wider bowling contribution that helped Bangladesh seize control. He noted the combination of Nahid Rana with Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam, highlighting how their work together played a major role in securing Bangladesh’s first home Test victory against the visiting side.
Speaking on what went wrong, Masood said the situation at tea felt positive, but the team lost wickets after the break at moments that proved damaging. He suggested that several batters should have shown sharper game awareness, considering how far Pakistan still were from the target.
“I think we were in a good position at tea,” Masood said. “Then, after tea, we lost a few wickets and, in terms of game awareness, I thought some of the batsmen could have realised that we were still some distance away from the target. It was important to keep ourselves in the game, but we lost wickets at the wrong time. We could have made better cricketing decisions.”
Masood stopped short of blaming any individual, insisting he would not engage in a blame game. He said he was willing to accept that statistics tell part of the story, but emphasised that Test cricket requires continuous improvement across multiple areas.
“Obviously, you can point to the statistics, and I will accept that,” he said. “But in Test cricket, there are many things we need to improve. I will never play the blame game. I will take responsibility myself, but my constant effort is to identify what we are doing well as a Test team, what we can improve, and what more we need to do to become a strong Test side.”
Focus on improvement, not blame
He added that his personal focus is purely on raising Pakistan’s standard, whether that relates to selection, batting order, or other team-related matters. In his view, the demands of Test cricket leave little room for error, because teams consistently face the best opposition.
“If you ask about my intentions, they are purely focused on improving the Pakistan team,” Masood said. “Whether it is team selection, batting positions, or any team-related matter, the main goal is to help the Pakistan team improve. As I said before, Test cricket demands your best. You never face weak opposition in Test cricket. It is always the best versus the best, and whenever you make mistakes, you are not given any margin for error.”
Masood also discussed Nahid Rana’s threat level, especially against lower-order batters. He felt Rana’s pace and execution in pressure phases make him a dangerous option when wickets are needed most.
“That was a very important phase of the game,” Masood said. “Against the lower order, you always want express pace as a bowling unit. I thought Rana bowled very well against our lower order.”
He further praised Rana’s planning and execution, saying the bowler’s quality was clear and his approach was carried out effectively. Masood concluded by stating that Pakistan felt the match might have been pushed towards a draw if the two set batters had stayed at the crease for longer.
