Will try to perform better in Test series against England: Shan Masood

Karachi: Shan Masood, the captain of the national test team, on Monday said that he would try to perform better in the test series against England.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, he said that the result he wanted against Bangladesh didn't deliver and that all the boys were saddened by the poor performance.

Masood further said that players would have to be given opportunities to succeed, adding Khurram Shahzad was an important part of the team but unfortunately he had been injured. "In Test cricket, you need regular matches to perform."

The captain said that the team for the first test had been announced but, "we do not know the conditions in Multan, we will try to make a good start in the first test."

Masood said that it never felt good when the team lost, especially Pakistan. "The series against Bangladesh and Australia did not start well. After playing against Australia, we saw a lot of positive things but we didn't get to see those things as a result in the series against Bangladesh."

"We have to learn from mistakes. Test cricket demands you to be strong physically and mentally. We have to improve these things as a team," he said.

He said that there were no team cohesion issues against Bangladesh as he always tried to maintain a better atmosphere in the dressing room.

The skipper further said that Muhammad Rizwan was part of the permanent team but Sarfraz Ahmed was the best alternative in the short term. 

The captain of the Test team further said that Babar Azam was the number one and best batsman in the world, adding he (Shan) wanted to give full opportunity to the players.