Pakistan captain Shan Masood was effusive in his praise for the magnificent bowling show put up by the two spinners, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan who shared 20 scalps, helping Pakistan emerge victorious by 152 runs over England, in the second Test here at Multan on Monday. The win marked Pakistan's first Test success on home soil since 11 games.
Masood, in retrospect, was well pleased with the result and credited the spinners for Herculean efforts. Sajid Khan took nine wickets and was awarded Man of the Match, while Noman Ali claimed 11 wickets, with a second innings haul of 8 for 46.
Debutant Kamran Ghulam also performed pretty well, scoring a century in his maiden Test match to take Pakistan to 366 in the first innings.
Masood goes candid on the strategies deployed and how the entire team has put in its efforts.
"We are just glad that we were able to put the plans in place, get 20 wickets and were able to back it up with some decent first and second innings scores. A change of strategy for us. We tried going green seamers against Bangladesh, we were a bit off. Sometimes you have to look at the opposition also, look at what the ground can provide. We haven't played a lot of Test cricket in Multan. The only one was two years ago that offered some spin, so we thought why not try to do something and make something like that."
He continued to praise Noman and Sajid for the manner in which they have been leading from the front with the ball:
"Noman and Sajid coming in, it's never easy and they looked like two seasoned campaigners. Secondly, we didn't even need a third bowler and that speaks volumes for them. It's a collective effort and what matters in team sport is chipping those 20-30 runs, putting those efforts in the field. Zahid didn't bowl much but he was running around, he was there for the team, same with Jamal who scored some vital runs. Noman and Sajid were the front-runners and everyone chipped in."
This was Masood's first win as skipper and came after some tough times for the team. "First one is always special, it has come after some hard times. A lot has happened over the last week, so to be able to seal it off with a win feels pretty good," he said. "For everyone to work together, to come up with a strategy to pick 20 wickets and make it happen, that's the most satisfying thing. You have to applaud the group. They have been hungry. You can't doubt the effort of the guys and their commitment. It'll be special for everyone because it's come after some tough times and it's kept us hungry."
Masood also appreciated the fact that Kamran Ghulam's first century came under pressure and appreciated debutants, what a big test it is for them.
"For Kami, it's never easy. When you are replacing one of the best batters in the world. I read some things that were horrid even before he played his first Test match. I can't even imagine the pressure that someone can be under. But we were all behind him. From the get-go, he seemed like he belonged. To get that century, that's special."
Masood concluded, full of collective pride:
"For everyone to work together, to come up with a strategy to pick 20 wickets and make it happen, that's the most satisfying thing. You have to applaud the group. They have been hungry. You can't doubt the effort of the guys and their commitment. It'll be special for everyone because it's come after some tough times and it's kept us hungry."
Read also| Rain Delays Toss for First Test Between India and New Zealand
