“With all due respect, I don’t believe your query is relevant.”I concur that Pakistan hasn’t performed well in cricket in 2024,” Masood remarked.
Because of the team’s poor recent results, Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood has been under intense criticism. Pakistan has just lost a Test series against Bangladesh at home, and the performances have raised doubts about the forms of several players.
One such player has been Abdullah Shafique, the opener for Pakistan. Shafique has been averaging seven ducks in 2024, with three ducks to his credit. Shan Masood, Pakistan’s Test captain, has stepped up to defend Shafique’s batting efforts, though.
He continued by drawing comparisons between Shafique’s record and Virat Kohli’s. In his opinion, Shafique’s early-career record has been superior to Virat Kohli’s.
“With all due respect, I don’t believe the question you asked is correct.I concur that Pakistan’s cricket performance in 2024 has been lacking. Things ought to be examined impartially. You discuss statistics. Masood was cited by Sportskeeda as saying, “The other day I was reading a statistic that Abdullah Shafique, who has played 19 Tests, has a better record than Virat Kohli.”
It is noteworthy that Abdullah Shafique averaged 80 runs after his first six games and achieved two fifties on his debut. His performance did, however, decline after 2022.
Shafique averaged 40.35 after 19 Tests, with 1372 runs after 19 matches. Of the 19 Tests, only three were played outside of the subcontinent. Shafique’s 40.35 average was surpassed by Virat Kohli’s 1178 runs at an average of 40.62 in 32 innings.
Kohli played seven Tests away from home in his first 19 appearances, scoring a century against Australia. Numerous admirers have also questioned Masood’s remarks on social media.
It’s also important to remember that Pakistan will now host England for a three-match Test series beginning in Multan on October 7.