Masood makes no excuses for Pakistan's inexcusable performances

The Pakistan cricket team is under scrutiny after being whitewashed by Bangladesh on home soil. At a press conference, captain Shan Masood candidly admitted their failure and blamed it on planning issues as well as the mental and physical fitness of the players.

Pakistan had a good start in both Test matches but failed to maintain it for an extended period. Shan Masood mentioned in the post-match press conference that the team's mental and physical fitness might have contributed to this issue:

"We lost the toss and batted first both times. We batted well on both occasions. In the first match, we scored 448 runs. In the second match, we scored 274 runs. They had taken 6 wickets for 26 runs, which shows the impact of the pitch. We batted first on such a pitch and scored 274 runs. The positive aspect is our bowling and batting starts are very good. However, we might not have had the mentality or fitness to sustain performances over four or five days. I believe this is where Pakistan cricket needs to work."

Pakistan faced criticism after losing the first Test against Bangladesh, and the criticism has intensified following their second Test defeat. Despite this, Shan Masood is determined to fight for the team as long as he is the captain:

"As long as I am in this position, I want to guide the team in the right direction. Even if we lose, I want to fight for the team. I want to continue fighting until my time is up."

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah were rested for the final Test against Bangladesh. When asked about their rest, Shan Masood explained, "Resting the two best pacers is never an easy decision. At the same time, we need to prepare others as well. We need to develop players like Hamza and Khurram by giving them international match experience. They haven't played many matches yet. We had to consider everything."

Pakistan's top batter, Babar Azam, has only scored 64 runs across four innings in the two Tests against Bangladesh. Despite this, the captain has not lost faith in Babar. "Babar Azam has scored many runs. Sometimes, even after scoring 100 or 150 runs, he is not satisfied. Babar has scored a lot of runs in all three formats. We need to maintain the process. If we do, we will do well in the future. I have faith in Babar. He is working hard. The sooner he can return to form, the better it will be for Pakistan."