'Pakistan are not mentally weak': Captain Shan Masood shoots down reporter's question

After succumbing to another embarrassing defeat at home, the Pakistan Test team is facing questions over its mental strength. Captain Shan Masood was also asked the same in the post-match press conference after Pakistan lost to England by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test at Multan on Friday. This is Pakistan’s sixth consecutive loss and they are now winless at home since 2022.

‘Pakistan is not mentally weak’

Pakistan, who scored 556 in the first innings with Masood scoring 151, also became the first team in the history of Test cricket to lose a match by an innings after scoring 500-plus runs in an innings.

Masood, however, feels that it’s not mental weakness that is plaguing his team but the inability of his pacers to take 20 wickets in a Test match.

Read: More ignominy for Pakistan as they lose Multan Test vs England despite scoring 500-plus runs

“I wouldn’t say my team is mentally weak but we expected this pitch to break by the third day onwards that is why we prolonged our innings. But at the end of the day you have to find ways to take 20 wickets and we are not doing that in recent times,” he said.

Masood to take call on Babar next week

Masood said the Pakistan team was not learning from its mistakes and repeating them again and again.

“We can’t blame anyone but ourselves. Where we made lapses they didn’t and capitalised on their opportunities. The pitch character did change on the fourth day when we came to bat as some cracks had opened up and there was a little something for the bowlers with the new ball.”

On Babar Azam’s struggle for form and whether it was time to rest him for a few matches, Masood said: “But we will sit down and reflect on this Test and then make decisions on the squad for the next test.”