Nasser Hussain: “Shan Masood suddenly comes in at number 4, that makes no sense to me at all him coming into bat with just 5 overs to go. He’s not a finisher, he’s a top-order batter”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said it makes no sense for Pakistan batsman Shan Masood to bat at number four in T20Is since he is accustomed to opening the batting.
Masood has been slotted into Pakistan’s middle order to provide some stability in an area that has been a longstanding problem for the men in green.
He recently featured in the T20 World Cup and fared well with the bat as he amassed 175 runs in seven matches, which included a top score of 52 not out, at an average of 43.75 and a strike-rate of 118.24.
Despite doing well at a position he normally doesn’t bat in, Hussain feels that Pakistan should reconsider where the 33-year-old bats at going forward.
“Shan Masood suddenly comes in at number 4, that makes no sense to me at all him coming into bat with just 5 overs to go. He’s not a finisher, he’s a top-order batter,” he was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on Twitter.
Masood is part of Pakistan’s squad for the ongoing three-Test series against England, but wasn’t included in the playing XI for the first Test in Rawalpindi, which Pakistan lost by 74 runs.
The second Test starts on Friday in Multan.
Pakistan’s Squad for England Test Series: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Shan Masood, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Saud Shakeel, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed