Shan Masood says he never bound himself to a certain format

• Shan Masood has scored over 1,200 runs this year in the shortest form..
• Batsman said that playing at number four has its own challenges.
• He highlighted that both the teams have good knowledge of each other.

Shan Masood, the top batter for Pakistan, has stated that he has always wanted to push himself and do new things.

In order to challenge himself and be ready for any situation and circumstance.

Given his outstanding performance in the shorter format, the cricketer was selected for the 15-person team for the T20 World Cup and seven-match T20I series against England beginning September 20.

Shan Masood stated in an exclusive interview that he never saw himself as a player who was restricted to a particular format or position.

“A good player is one who can adjust with any format, any position at any time,” said the 32-year-old cricketer.

Prior to being chosen for the T20 team, Shan was typically viewed as a player more suited for red-ball cricket. With his most recent performance, Shan, however, disregarded this opinion of himself.

“People are entitled to their opinion,” he said when asked why was he usually considered a red-ball only player.

‘Never limited myself to playing a single format’

According to Masood, who also added that he never limited himself to playing in a single format, what is more significant is how a player views himself and what he expects of himself.

“I kept trying and kept testing myself to know how far can I go. I believe that a good player is the one who is willing to adjust himself in any format,” said Shan who has scored over 1,200 runs this year in the shortest format of the game.

The top order batter continued, “It’s helped me learn how to jump from one format to another playing different formats in a single season for my county Derbyshire this year.” In his 25 Test appearances for Pakistan, he amassed 1378 runs in 47 innings. He was only handed five ODIs, and he is yet to play in his first T20I. Even so, the player’s PSL and Vitality Blast T20 statistics are already remarkable.

Shan has demonstrated his willingness to bat in the middle of the order by trying out at number 4 during a national T20 event.

“I want to pull myself out of my comfort zone, you have to give respect to the situation and it is important to understand that there’s tough competition among batters in all the three formats of the game in country,” Shan said.

He said that there is no harm in trying and testing his potential.

Shan remarked that he has gained a lot from his experience playing at number 4 since it allows the batter time to observe and evaluate the game and opponents. However, he noted that middle order batting has its own advantages and challenges.

‘I want to fully enjoy participating in the national team’

Talking about how he sees playing in T20I series against England, Shan said that it is a great opportunity for him and he aims to enjoy this chance to the fullest.

“To play for your country in any format is always a great moment. It is important for me as well and I want to enjoy it without thinking too much about the results. I want to contribute for my team in best possible way, weather by giving my input in planning or by giving my best when I am in middle,” he said.

He emphasized how well both teams understood one another and the challenges they would encounter.

“If England players have played in PSL, we have also played with them in county championship, so we know each other well, it is not the same that teams would struggle in away conditions as franchise cricket has allowed players to learn conditions in different countries and strength of different players. So, I believe both the teams – England and Pakistan – know each other well,” he said hoping for a great contest between the two sides in the bilateral series

“Consistency in the momentum will be the key, it is important to carry the momentum till end as it is a long series of 7 games, so you have to be consistent, it is not like a three-match series where a good start would have helped you to win the series,” concluded Shan.

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