Following Pakistan’s crushing defeat by England in the first Test in Multan, captain Shan Masood expressed deep disappointment but emphasized the need for the team to regroup and learn from the experience.
Reflecting on the match, Masood admitted that the team had misread the pitch and failed to adjust to changing conditions over the five days.
"We took the pitch too literally and hoped it would break earlier," said Masood. "We have to find a way to stay competitive and play according to conditions for the full five days."
The skipper also acknowledged the team's inability to take enough wickets, saying, "We are struggling to take ten or twenty wickets, and our regular scorer, Rizwan, couldn’t find form in this match." Despite the defeat, Masood was hopeful, vowing to field the best team in the upcoming second Test.
Masood praised Babar Azam, calling him Pakistan’s best batsman, and indicated that the team would be selected based on the conditions for the next match.
He assured fans that they would see a better performance in the second Test.
England captain Ollie Pope hailed the victory as special. He praised the bowling efforts of Jack Leach and debutant Shoaib Bashir, and highlighted the contributions of Joe Root and Harry Brook, whose big scores helped England dominate.
"Good performances win you games, and we love cricket," Pope added during his press conference.
