LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistan captain Shan Masood is confident that taking 20 wickets will be more crucial than piling up big scores in the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, as the hosts prepare to create spin-friendly conditions for the series opener at Gaddafi Stadium from Sunday.
In a pre-series press conference on Saturday, Shan emphasized that Pakistan’s strategy revolves around crafting pitches that offer assistance to their strengths, particularly spinners.
“We don’t want flat tracks where matches end in draws,” said Shan. “Sometimes you sacrifice runs to create situations where 20 wickets are possible.”
The captain stressed that this approach stems from lessons learned during the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, where Pakistan struggled to capitalize on home advantages and missed key opportunities.
“The idea is to use our home advantage wisely,” he added, indicating that the upcoming series will be a chance to put those lessons into practice.
With the Gaddafi Stadium hosting its first Test match of the current WTC cycle, the pitch is expected to favour spinners, making it ideal for Pakistan’s bowling attack.
The team is likely to field up to three slow bowlers, with off-spinner Sajid Khan, who has recently recovered from an illness, expected to play a significant role.
Shan also mentioned the possibility of reverse swing from the pace attack, depending on the weather conditions.
