Shan Masood: "I followed the whole Ashes 2019 just to watch Steve Smith bat"

S.M. HUSSAIN: Shan Masood was Pakistan's top run-scorer in their Test series against South Africa at the beginning of 2019 and now, with Azhar Ali facing his first series in charge against Australia, the opener has a chance to nail down his spot

Articulate, well mannered, disciplined – a determined young man who studied at a British university. If you have followed English cricket in the ‘90s then you may involuntarily equate Shan Masood with Michael Atherton.

The similarities between the two don’t end here – they both had privileged childhoods and cricket-mad fathers who wanted to see their sons play at the highest level.

A day before embarking on a tough Australian Test tour, Shan Masood spoke to The Cricketer.

After a tough day in the middle, Masood likes to unwind by reading, watching movies, eating good food, and listening to his favorite band – Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Life has a bigger purpose. It is important to spend some good time with the family,” he says.

In the last Pakistan Test series against the Proteas in South Africa at the end of 2018, Masood made the most runs for his team in the three-Test series, only Quinton de Kock made more runs than him overall.

Masood recalls: “Look, you always expect to give your top performance. My Test performance in South Africa was satisfactory, but when I got the opportunities to score big, I didn’t.

“In my opinion, you always try to evaluate your good performances and find negatives and point out the positives in bad ones. I think it is a learning curve of life; I try to learn from the mistakes I made while playing in South Africa and in the domestic games so I can perform better in Australia.

“I think mentally I was in a very good space. There was game awareness and clarity in my approach because for two to three years I had played a lot of domestic cricket and I was also the part of Pakistan A team, which helped me gain match practice. I took these things to South Africa. This process and my game plan helped me perform there.”

^{Masood made his only Test century to date against Sri Lanka in 2015}

Comparing Australian pitches with South African tracks, he says: “On the surface, it looks that Australian pitches are better than wickets in South Africa, but in my opinion one shouldn’t predetermine things.

“The Test squad will reach [Australia] sixteen days before the first Test in Brisbane, so we’ll have ample time to assess the Aussie conditions and we’ll have two warm-up games to get match practice.”

Of the similarities between Australia and South Africa’s bowling line-ups, he adds: “The Australian bowling attack is quite different, and we cannot compare it with the South African bowling line-up.”

It is an indubitable fact that the forthcoming Test series against Australia will be a huge challenge for the Pakistan team; especially working out a plan to tame Steve Smith.

“I reckon he’s (Smith) one of the greatest players to play this game,” Masood says. “I don’t usually watch cricket on the telly, but I followed the whole Ashes 2019 just to watch Steve Smith bat. I almost watched each and every single ball played by him.

“There is an opportunity for our bowling attack; if we manage to get him (Steve Smith) out cheaply our confidence will go sky high,” he adds.

In his relatively short career with the Pakistan team so far, Masood has seen many ups and downs. He made an impressive start to his Test career by making 75 runs in his first ever innings against South Africa in Abu Dhabi in 2013. However, in the third Test of his career against New Zealand, he fell victim to a poor umpiring decision.

“I still remember that unfortunate incident because in international cricket a good start matters a lot for a batsman,” Masood reflects. “If such thing would’ve happened at the start of your innings one could say: ‘unlucky mate, let’s move on’, but I was batting on 40 when I was adjudged out.

“That said, at the end of the day it’s a game. There are good days and there are bad days, one should always believe that when your career ends things will even out. It is important to focus on things you can control, like your routine and practice and believe that luck will favour you.”

England has a special place in Shan’s heart. He studied and played a lot of cricket there. He and his family lived a stone’s throw away from Lord’s. In 2009 he made 1,237 runs with a staggering average of 103 for Stamford in school cricket, 50 runs short of the record made by former England opener Alastair Cook.

^{He was Pakistan's top run-scorer during their series against South Africa at the end of 2018}

But on Pakistan’s Test tour to England in 2016, he endured a torrid time. Chris Woakes had the better of him in Lord’s Test and James Anderson got him out in both innings at Old Trafford.

“It was a learning process for me; I wish I had the knowledge and experience of the game then which I have now,” Masood recalls with some regret in his eyes.

“You learn from your failure; I strongly believe that one must never give up. I’m sure I’ll get another opportunity to play in England and to be successful.”

He has a great camaraderie with his mentor, Younis Khan. In 2015 they shared a record-breaking 242-run partnership in the final innings to help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka at Pallekele.

“I have always had a special understanding with Younis Khan,” he explains with a beaming smile. “He is a mentor and a father figure; though he’s not [as] old as my father, but I have fatherly respect for him. Even now I’ve had a discussion with him before leaving for Australia. He is the greatest ever Pakistan batsman and it’s a privilege for me to get the opportunity to learn from him.”      

Masood is open to new ideas in the game. About The Hundred, he says: “I heard Kane Williamson’s interview in which he said that demand of cricket is increasing, so in a way it’s a good thing, but as long as The Hundred doesn’t take away the attention from other formats. Bottom line is that it must help cricket grow without negating other facets.”

He ticks all the right boxes and if he manages to perform in Australia as he did in South Africa, then he will surely cement his place in the Pakistan Test team. Perhaps, he may well be Pakistan’s Test captain in waiting.