PAK vs ENG: Abdullah Shafique credits Shan Masood for ‘fair run’ amid poor form
Abdullah Shafique thanked Pakistan skipper Shan Masood for backing him when he was going through a poor run of form. On Monday, Shafique returned to form in the opening Test against England in Multan. The right-handed batter smashed Shoaib Bashir for a six to reach his half-century, after which he hit Jack Leach down the ground for a maximum to bring up his hundred.
Shafique came into the match with seven single digit scores in his last 10 innings. The 24-year-old batter made 102 runs off 184 balls with 10 fours and two sixes before Gus Atkinson accounted for his wicket. Shafique said that Masood and the Pakistan team management did not lose faith in him and gave him a ‘fair run’ to stage a comeback.
Multan Test, PAK vs ENG Updates
“As a sportsman, you have to face challenges and go through failures. But I am thankful to the team management and captain for showing faith in me and giving me enough matches and a fair run because of which I was able to make a comeback. You go through mental challenges and self-doubts, but in the end, you have to find a way out of them and perform,” Shafique said in the press conference after the day’s play.
‘Partnership with Masood boosted the team’
After opting to bat first, Pakistan found themselves under pressure as Saim Ayub departed early. But Masood and Shafique put on 253 runs for the second wicket to put Pakistan in command. Shafique also said that the pitch in Multan will get tougher for batting with spinners coming into the picture.
“Pitches in Test matches are challenging in the beginning due to the freshness. The pitch was tough to bat on in the first session, but my partnership with Masood boosted the team. We are also hoping for the hard surface in Multan to help the spinners as batting will keep becoming challenging due to the cracks,” Shafique added.
At Stumps on Day 1, Pakistan finished at 328 for the loss of four wickets with Saud Shakeel and night-watchman, Naseem Shah as their overnight batters.
