'In Rawalpindi, conditions have favoured the seamers ' - Shan Masood elaborates on snubbing Mir Hamza for first Test against Bangladesh

Pakistan (PAK) will take on Bangladesh (BAN) in the first Test on (Wednesday) August 21, in Rawalpindi. For the first time in 28 years, Pakistan have opted for an all-pace attack as they released Abrar Ahmed ahead of the first Test. Before the action begins on Wednesday morning, Pakistan captain, Shan Masood has revealed the pacers who will share the new ball against Bangladesh. 

Mohammad Ali was selected over Mir Hamza, who picked six wickets in the second Test against Australia in 2023. Masood addressed the issue and while shedding light on the importance of pacers in Rawalpindi’s wicket, he added that Ali would be more suitable to share the new ball. If going by Masood’s tactic, then either Shaheen Afridi or Naseem Shah has to make way for Ali.

“In Rawalpindi, whenever we have played domestic cricket, the conditions have favoured the seamers and the batters. Spin-bowling hasn’t been such a big threat. So we want to take what we do in domestic cricket forward rather than applying something new, which we don’t normally get in Rawalpindi,” said Masood as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

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We considered who could best support Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah: Masood

Furthermore, Shan Masood after putting a stop to speculations on dropping spinner Hamza Mir, the young leader pointed out the bowler aspects Mohammad Ali brings to the table. Besides, they also factored in the best available third bowler who will play a key role with the new ball with frontline pacers. Hence, the team management took a final call on Pakistan's playing XI keeping in mind the conditions on offer. 

“If you look in isolation, you can argue that why this particular bowler was preferred over another. We considered who could best support Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, who will hopefully take the new ball tomorrow,” Masood explained.

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"We believe Mohammad Ali is well-suited for this role. He hits the deck hard, can move the ball in the air with the seam, and has that extra pace. It's not about one bowler being better than another, but rather about who fits the conditions best," he concluded.

Pakistan's playing XI vs Bangladesh:

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shaheen Afridi.