‘Has a better record than Virat Kohli’ - Shan Masood defends Abdullah Shafique amid subpar performance

Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood has been under major scrutiny due to the side’s subpar performances in recent times. Pakistan recently lost a Test series at home to Bangladesh, and the forms of many players have come under question due to the performances. 

One such player has been Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique. With three ducks to his name, Shafique has been averaging seven in 2024. However, Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood has come forward and defended Shafique’s performances with the bat. 

He even went on to compare Shafique’s record to that of Virat Kohli. He feels that Shafique’s record at the start of his career has been better than Virat Kohli's. 

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"With all due respect, I don't think your question is accurate...I agree that Pakistan hasn't played good cricket in 2024. Things should be looked at objectively. You talk about stats. The other day I was reading a stat that Abdullah Shafique, who has played 19 Tests, has a better record than Virat Kohli," Masood was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda. 

It is worth noting that Abdullah Shafique scored twin fifties on his debut, and averaged 80 runs after his first six appearances. However, his form has taken a dip after 2022. 

After 19 Tests, Shafique scored 1372 runs at an average of 40.35, in the 19 Tests, only three matches were played out of the subcontinent. On the other hand, Virat Kohli scored 1178 runs at an average of 40.62 in 32 innings as compared to Shafique’s 40.35.

In his first 19 appearances, Kohli played seven Tests away from home and had a century against Australia as well. Masood’s comments have been questioned by many fans on social media as well. 

It is also worth noting that Pakistan are now set to host England in a three-game Test series which will kick off from October 7 in Multan.