The veteran Indian off-spinner has backed Shan Masood amid backlash over Pakistan’s recent poor performances. Following Pakistan’s shocking series defeat to Bangladesh, captain Shan Masood’s captaincy has come under the scanner.
Pakistan have a great Test record Bangladesh And before this series, they had never lost a Test match. But they lost both Tests in the series, giving Bangladesh a historic moment in the history of Test cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin backs Shan Masood despite Pakistan’s poor Test performance
Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about Pakistan’s recent performance against Bangladesh on his YouTube channel. Ashwin also expressed his views on Shan Masood’s captaincy and supported his leadership role in Pakistan.
“I feel very sorry for the man Shan Masood. I will tell you why. Shan Masood is a very intelligent cricketer. I know him. He speaks volumes and can be a very good captain for Pakistan,” Ashwin said.
But the 37-year-old spinner insists leading Pakistan is not easy and it is not easy in the dressing room either.
“But in the current situation where a player like Babar Azam is not the captain but the face of Pakistan, managing the Pakistan cricket team, wouldn’t it be difficult to manage the players in the dressing room?” he added.
Pakistan’s Shan Masood’s captaincy record
Shan Masood replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s captain in Test cricket last year. His first assignment as captain was the Pakistan Test series against Australia, which the Men in Green lost 3-0 to the home team.
Shan Masood is yet to taste victory as captain of the team as Pakistan have lost both Tests against Bangladesh. As a result, the left-hander has lost all five matches as Pakistan captain so far.
Shan Masood’s next assignment is the Test series against England in October, where he will lead Pakistan in a three-match Test series. It will be a tough test for Masood and Pakistan as they face a strong England side that is currently in good form.
Ravichandran Ashwin on Pakistan Cricket
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin also expressed his distrust of the state of Pakistan cricket. He felt that a few years ago when Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Yasir Shah were playing, it was difficult to beat Pakistan but now it is different.
“All this aside, looking at what Pakistan cricket is like now, it would have been impossible 10 years ago when Misbah and Younis Khan were there. Even when they were playing in UAE, it was really difficult to beat Pakistan then. You had guys like Yasir Shah, a couple of left-arm spinners coming in. It’s unbelievable that all these guys have reached where they are now,” the off-spinner added.
Ravichandran Ashwin will be playing in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Ashwin has not played much cricket recently and was selected to play in the TNPL 2024, leading Dindigul Dragons to victory.
The first Test of the series between India and Bangladesh will be played in Chennai and the second in Kanpur. The series will begin on September 19. After the Test, the two teams will face each other in a three-match T20I series.
