Players Be Given Longer Chance For Evaluation: Shan Masood

Pakistan test cricketer, Shan Masood, has urged the national cricket selector to give ample chance to players before evaluate their performance and deciding their fate in the game

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Aug, 2019 ):Pakistan test cricketer, Shan Masood, has urged the national cricket selector to give ample chance to players before evaluate their performance and deciding their fate in the game.

"I request the national selectors to assess the performance of players based on the number of the matches played by them and they should be given a fair chance to prove their mettle," he told reporters here on Tuesday after a training session of pre-season cricket fitness camp at the Gaddafi Stadium.

He quoted his own example that he played only 15 test matches in six years time period with an average of two-and-a-half tests a year, compared to 30 or 40 test matches played by a player of different teams of the world. "It is not a broad way method to judge performance," he said.

The left-handed batsman rejected a questioner that he wants to bat at a specific number in batting order saying "My job is to play quality cricket for Pakistan and, as a player I am available to Pakistan in every capacity (in batting number)." He said it is good for the safety of players to wear protective safety gear, allowed by the International Cricket Council and it does not mean that if any player enters the field equipped with safety gears he has fear factor of getting injured as injuries are though happen in the game and the best way to avoid them is to follow the laid down procedure of ICC regarding the use of safety gear.

The test batsman praised the decision of PCB for conducting pre-season fitness camp and said "It is the first time that such a high profile pre-season having all the centrally contracted player has been organised, focusing on the fitness and skills of the players enabling them to get into required mental and physical fitness before playing the domestic circuit and the coming international assignments home and abroad.

"Every player has his own trajectory in his career and what I am focusing is to play for Pakistan and I believe players be given a longer and fair chance before judging their status in the game," he asserted.

To a question, he said suspension of international cricket in Pakistan proved a setback for Pak cricketers as they failed to demonstrate their skills in their own backyard and to set records.

"We have been playing at natural venues for quite a long time and players were without the added advantage of home ground and crowd and by that way they were deprived of setting records," he said. "It is a good decision on the part of the PCB to ensure resumption of international cricket in Pakistan and we are delighted that Sri Lankan team will be visiting Pakistan next month for One Day and T20 matches series which will follow test series later this year, and it will be an ideal opportunity for our players to exhibit quality cricket and perform to a higher level in their own arenas."