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Birmingham: Pakistani cricketer Shan Masood expressed his deep sense of pride and honor in captaining a prestigious club like Yorkshire in English county cricket.
Masood’s appointment as captain marks a significant milestone as he becomes the first Pakistani cricketer to lead Yorkshire since its establishment in 1853.
Having previously captained Derbyshire CCC in the T20 Blast tournament, Masood shared his enthusiasm for joining Yorkshire, considering it a remarkable opportunity that he is wholeheartedly ready to embrace.
During an exclusive interview with Geo News at Birmingham’s Edgbaston stadium, Masood reflected on the rich history of Yorkshire, emphasizing that several former Pakistan team captains and legendary figures like Sachin Tendulkar had graced the club’s ranks. Additionally, he acknowledged the great English players, both past and present, who have represented Yorkshire.
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Due to his national team commitments, Masood missed the initial weeks of the current county season with Yorkshire. The T20 Blast match against Birmingham Bears marked his second competitive appearance for the club as captain.
Adjusting to new conditions and settling in quickly can be challenging when joining a team that has already played several matches, Masood noted. In contrast to his experience with Derbyshire last year, where he was available from the beginning of the season, he acknowledged the difficulty in acclimatizing promptly after missing over a month of play this season.
In the opening match of the tournament, Yorkshire won the toss and chose to field first. Although they were in a favorable position with Birmingham losing four early wickets for just 51 runs, the Bears managed to post a total of 200 runs.
Masood deemed the defeat from such a commanding position as “unacceptable” and stressed the importance of identifying weaknesses and learning from them as the team progresses.
Highlighting the positive aspect of the tournament, Masood mentioned that Yorkshire has 14 group-stage games to play. Reflecting on his experience with Derbyshire last year, he recalled a slow start but a strong finish, with the team winning nine out of fourteen matches by the end of the group stage.
Determined to rectify their performance, Masood expressed his commitment to learning from mistakes and stressed the need for a collective effort from individual players to produce favorable results for the team.
With a few days’ break before their next game against Worcester Rapids, Masood emphasized the significance of rest and additional practice sessions to regroup and improve their game.
Aware of the high expectations from fans, especially considering Yorkshire’s unsatisfactory start to the season, Masood recognized the importance of individual performances and the team’s collective determination to achieve positive outcomes. He emphasized the significance of securing a single victory to ignite momentum and strive for consecutive wins, as a strong team seizes opportunities and builds on them.
