Shan Masood reveals new ball duo, explains Mohammad Ali's selection over Mir Hamza

Pakistan's Test captain, Shan Masood, has disclosed the team's strategy for the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, starting on August 21.

Pakistan has chosen a four-man pace attack for the match, reflecting the conditions expected at the venue.

Shan explained the reasoning behind this decision during a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, stating that Rawalpindi's conditions have historically favored seamers and batters, with spin not playing a significant role.

“In Rawalpindi, whenever we have played domestic cricket, the conditions have favored the seamers and the batters. Spin-bowling hasn’t been such big threat. So we want to take what we do in domestic cricket forward rather than applying something new, which we don’t normally get in Rawalpindi,” Shan said.

When asked why Mohammad Ali was selected over Mir Hamza, Shan emphasized the importance of the specific role each bowler plays in the team.

“If you look in isolation, you can argue that why this particular bowler was preferred over another,” Shan explained.

"We considered who could best support Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, who will hopefully take the new ball tomorrow. We believe Mohammad Ali is well-suited for this role. He hits the deck hard, can move the ball in the air with the seam, and has that extra pace. It's not about one bowler being better than another, but rather about who fits the conditions best," he concluded.

Pakistan playing XI: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shaheen Shah Afridi