[VIDEO] Shan Masood 2.0 - Performance Watch

[Suleiman]

The guy is like a phoenix risen from the ashes on this tour. Have seen the hardwork he's put in to fitness and working on his weaknesses at the gym and with coaches.

Got a bit in unlucky in the first innings of first test, played a good hand in the second innings, and again today got a fabulous start with a 44 with "veterans" and "Pakistani legends" future and past falling around him for single digits.

Ofc he should start converting these starts before the test series is done and dusted, and I have high expectations of him in the second innings.

It's not tukkay baaz batting like with Sarfraz. He is controlling and pacing his innings.

He's not the same Shan we saw get murdered 10/10 times by Anderson in Shan's home country.

Is this new and improved Shan one of the mainstays needed for our crumbling batting order? Find out next time.

[hadi123]

He has improved a lot, he's scoring runs in tough conditions against a World Class bowling attack.

[TeamPak95]

The guy is like a phoenix risen from the ashes on this tour. Have seen the hardwork he's put in to fitness and working on his weaknesses at the gym and with coaches.

Got a bit in unlucky in the first innings of first test, played a good hand in the second innings, and again today got a fabulous start with a 44 with "veterans" and "Pakistani legends" future and past falling around him for single digits.

Ofc he should start converting these starts before the test series is done and dusted, and I have high expectations of him in the second innings.

It's not tukkay baaz batting like with Sarfraz. He is controlling and pacing his innings.

He's not the same Shan we saw get murdered 10/10 times by Anderson in Shan's home country.

Is this new and improved Shan one of the mainstays needed for our crumbling batting order? Find out next time.

... on Dragon Ball Z!

On a serious note, it'd be the most Pakistan thing if Shan were to pull a Laxman 2001 in the second innings to win the game for his team.

[ayemgilani86]

Shan Masood has been brilliant, haris injury has been a blessing no way would he have played as well, azhar asad imam babar the plAyers who will be backed no matter what but still consistently let the team down, great to see Shan going back to domestic and working on his game instead of making futile hafeez/ akmal type numerous ‘comebacks’

[Markhor]

Pleasantly surprised. His backfoot game has hugely improved compared to when he was heading Jimmy Anderson's 80mph bouncers onto the stumps in UAE.

He's played with an assuredness that the senior players have lacked.

[Pete Rose]

Looked very good. Although I should point out that South Africa haven’t bowled particularly well to him because they haven’t had to, given how the team folds so easily. In general they’ve been short to him. But yes he has looked the best of the lot out there.

[Ab Fan]

Yeah, he looked very good. Quite composed and like a confident man.

However, Pakistan is a highly mediocre batting lineup and SA bowling is just too good for it, particularly in SA conditions.

[iPakistani]

He is constantly looking to rotate the strike aswell, his strike rate has improved. If Inzi doesn’t select him for the ODI side which is his best format then I will be fuming.

Well played Shaan, hard work pays off!

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Nearly 30 years old with an average of 24 after 13 tests. Our standards have gone so low.

[Suleiman]

Nearly 30 years old with an average of 24 after 13 tests. Our standards have gone so low.

Look at it in context.

People want has beens in the team for the same reason. Because they use the past to justify their opinions instead of the present.

[Muhammad10]

Nearly 30 years old with an average of 24 after 13 tests. Our standards have gone so low.

Shows how meaningless stats can be, considering he's thoroughly outclassed our 30+ year-old Test cricket veterans in tough conditions against a world class pace attack.

[gazza619]

He looks quite decent. Nothing complex about him. Shows if you have a good back foot game you can score runs on these pitches.

[Rana]

Loved his pull shots last game.

I think he would give more to this team as an ODI opener compared to Imam

[Angrez Pakistani]

He can replace Shoaib Malik in ODIs after Malik retires from the international cricket.

[moghul]

Only Pakistani player in recent times who actually progressed, all other have regressed.

[Junaids]

Look, I have had my doubts about Shan Masood, but he's worked hard and he is looking really good.

More to the point, Blind Freddie can see that Sarfraz Ahmed has been mentally destroyed by the captaincy and that he needs to be relieved of it to see whether he can do a "Botham" and return to his previous playing form.

Pakistan needs a skipper and Babar Azam has only just established himself as the best player, so it's a little too soon for him.

Shan Masood is the smartest and most educated guy in the team, and he's playing well.

Give it to him as a stopgap for 2 years, almost like Tim Paine.

[Nikhil_cric]

When did this guy become so good? The way he batted here and at Supersport Park was shockingly good.

In recent tests, I have not seen another batsman in world cricket play the pull shot as well as he has done in this series . He was pulling the fastest bowling attack on surfaces conducive to fast bowling with ridiculous ease. Is he the best puller/hooker in world cricket currently?

[Arsalan Pro]

When did this guy become so good? The way he batted here and at Supersport Park was shockingly good.

In recent tests, I have not seen another batsman in world cricket play the pull shot as well as he has done in this series . He was pulling the fastest bowling attack on surfaces conducive to fast bowling with ridiculous ease. Is he the best puller/hooker in world cricket currently?

There is a reason he has better List A average than Virat Kohli. The amount of hard work he has done since being dropped is amazing!!!

The way he has played chance less innings after innings is incredible, he looks to be in ease playing any kind of bowling. Only a big hundred is eluding him to really get on track to become a good batsman who can cement his place in ODIs and Tests permanently.

[emranabbas]

Because he's not been coached by grant flower.

[Nikhil_cric]

There is a reason he has better List A average than Virat Kohli. The amount of hard work he has done since being dropped is amazing!!!

The way he has played chance less innings after innings is incredible, he looks to be in ease playing any kind of bowling. Only a big hundred is eluding him to really get on track to become a good batsman who can cement his place in ODIs and Tests permanently.

It's amazing what hard work and an indomitable will can do . A list A average better than Kohli and he's not in the PAK ODI team. That's truly a travesty.

[Ahmed216]

Let him play a bit more and see how consistent he is.
This is just a start.
As and if he attains more success teams will start analysing him to look for weaknesses in his game to exploit. This is where the real test lies for any cricketer.
Yes he has played the short ball with a lot of authority

[Nikhil_cric]

Because he's not been coached by grant flower.

Whoever has coached him should become Pakistan's batting coach then. Imagine the work they can do with the rest!!!

[Gullycricket]

He is the next Steve Smith.Mocked by everyone went back worked hard and is scoring runs. Best part he has looked the most comfortable in these conditions

[Nikhil_cric]

Let him play a bit more and see how consistent he is.
This is just a start.
As and if he attains more success teams will start analysing him to look for weaknesses in his game to exploit. This is where the real test lies for any cricketer.
Yes he has played the short ball with a lot of authority

Agreed. It's only the beginning of his second wind but the early signs look promising . Some of those pull shots - Wow - it was Ike watching Ponting in the mirror.

[CricketingMinds]

I am a big believer in Hardwork and Effort.....

Hardwork >>> Talent.

There is a book on the "psychology of success" by a Stanford professor (Dr Carol Dweck) called "Mindset" and that book talks about how the "greats" differentiate themselves from the "goods".

1)Some people are born with talent and they put in ridiculous amount of effort (e.g. Kohli, Sangakara, SRT Tendulkar) ... That's the ideal case

2)Others are not super talented but through grit, determination, hardwork they shatter the glass ceiling (e.g Younis Khan, Pujara, Dravid, Kumble, Dhoni)

3)Then we have the least ideal case where the super talented ones have a fixed mindset and they believe in their "gift" or "talent" so much that they feel if they have to work hard, then they aren't talented or in other words: talented people shouldn't have to put in too much effort.
Hence these people fail to fulfil their potential.
(e.g. Umar Akmal, Shahzad, Kambli, And many others)

It is all mental - WHETHER YOU BELIEVE YOUR GIFT CAN BE FURTHER NURTURED AND CULTIVATED (growth mindset)
OR
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE YOUR TALENT/GIFT IS SUFFICIENT (Fixed mindset)

SHAN MASOOD seems to be in the 2nd category of people

[Savak]

Can't blame or attribute too much success to any coach beyond a certain point, don't think any coach is constantly on Kohlis case to practice and work on his batting every day, that is eventually on the player himself and it is up to the player himself on how many domestic games he goes to play. Same is the case with Shan Masood

[SportsWarrior]

There is a reason he has better List A average than Virat Kohli. The amount of hard work he has done since being dropped is amazing!!!

The way he has played chance less innings after innings is incredible, he looks to be in ease playing any kind of bowling. Only a big hundred is eluding him to really get on track to become a good batsman who can cement his place in ODIs and Tests permanently.

He does not have better list A average than kohli.. He not only has less average he also has lesser strike rate. Kohli also has three times his runs and most of it at international level. So they are no way comparable on any level.

[Hasan123]

I hope he can keep this up. Really impressed with him. He has proven a lot of us wrong so far. The test is to maintain this form.

[Muhammad Saad]

I am a big believer in Hardwork and Effort.....

Hardwork >>> Talent.

There is a book on the "psychology of success" by a Stanford professor (Dr Carol Dweck) called "Mindset" and that book talks about how the "greats" differentiate themselves from the "goods".

1)Some people are born with talent and they put in ridiculous amount of effort (e.g. Kohli, Sangakara, SRT Tendulkar) ... That's the ideal case

2)Others are not super talented but through grit, determination, hardwork they shatter the glass ceiling (e.g Younis Khan, Pujara, Dravid, Kumble, Dhoni)

3)Then we have the least ideal case where the super talented ones have a fixed mindset and they believe in their "gift" or "talent" so much that they feel if they have to work hard, then they aren't talented or in other words: talented people shouldn't have to put in too much effort.
Hence these people fail to fulfil their potential.
(e.g. Umar Akmal, Shahzad, Kambli, And many others)

It is all mental - WHETHER YOU BELIEVE YOUR GIFT CAN BE FURTHER NURTURED AND CULTIVATED (growth mindset)
OR
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE YOUR TALENT/GIFT IS SUFFICIENT (Fixed mindset)

SHAN MASOOD seems to be in the 2nd category of people

Actually he belongs to another category which is below average talent but extreme hard work and determination transforming in to something substantial. Can't find any other player to name in this category, may be shoaib Malik perhaps.

[Arsalan Pro]

He does not have better list A average than kohli.. He not only has less average he also has lesser strike rate. Kohli also has three times his runs and most of it at international level. So they are no way comparable on any level.

I didn't say they are comparable, Virat Kohli is a Legend and Shan is starting his career.

But I thought there was some stat about his List A average being greater than Kohli or was it for some span. I don't remember maybe @Abdullah719 can help.

[Pete Rose]

He is most likely going to be part of the odi team

[SportsWarrior]

I didn't say they are comparable, Virat Kohli is a Legend and Shan is starting his career.

But I thought there was some stat about his List A average being greater than Kohli or was it for some span. I don't remember maybe @Abdullah719 can help.

No I just checked. May be there was a time when he did have higher average. More than that his strike rate is pretty low for a top order batsman. Fans already grumble about batsman with similar strike rates. But he certainly deserves a chance and may do better than imam. More than anything his resolve to work hard and force his way back into team should be recognized and rewarded. That is what you want to see a in any professional sportsman.

[RedwoodOriginal]

He has clearly worked very hard on his technique which was sliced open by Anderson and Broad when toured England in 2016. But on top of that I think his concentration and application have made a world of difference as well which is why he has looked like the best Pakistani batsman on this tour. Hope he continues playing like this because we are in dire need of a consistent batsman.

[leatherface58]

Actually he belongs to another category which is below average talent but extreme hard work and determination transforming in to something substantial. Can't find any other player to name in this category, may be shoaib Malik perhaps.

Bhogle brought up an interesting point. What is talent? Is being persistent and patient not a talent? Maybe not showy but still it is an excellent quality to have.

[Abdullah719]

Whoever has coached him should become Pakistan's batting coach then. Imagine the work they can do with the rest!!!

Shan has been working with Gary Palmer. He's the same coach who helped Cook to reignite his career in 2015.

[Suleiman]

Can't blame or attribute too much success to any coach beyond a certain point, don't think any coach is constantly on Kohlis case to practice and work on his batting every day, that is eventually on the player himself and it is up to the player himself on how many domestic games he goes to play. Same is the case with Shan Masood

Agreed. Also don’t think this is a purple patch like Sarfraz or Malik’s. This is some solid technique tested against a very probing pace attack in unfamiliar conditions.

[Chief Destroyer]

Believe it or not, there aren't any big changes in his technique. He's just ultra confident now because of how many balls he must have hit in the nets. He was always a backfoot player who aligned himself well with the offstump and left the ball well. Where he had trouble was finding ways to score, he's figured out that part now.

This is a great story of hard work and determination. InshaAllah, he continues to score.

[Nikhil_cric]

Shan has been working with Gary Palmer. He's the same coach who helped Cook to reignite his career in 2015.

BCCI need to hire him for rahane I guess .

[Abdullah719]

Believe it or not, there aren't any big changes in his technique. He's just ultra confident now because of how many balls he must have hit in the nets. He was always a backfoot player who aligned himself well with the offstump and left the ball well. Where he had trouble was finding ways to score, he's figured out that part now.

This is a great story of hard work and determination. InshaAllah, he continues to score.

Think he has the game for ODIs?

[TeymurBlake]

He's been a breathe of fresh air in our team. Seeing his name on the team sheet was such a downer as more deserving players should have played instead of him but since this series he's been solid and much more improved. I for one am surprised.

[Chief Destroyer]

Think he has the game for ODIs?

Yes.

[Abdullah]

Think he has the game for ODIs?

He can pull and cut and his List A has been awesome last 18
months
On the thread, MashaAllah his game looks in order, he has not looked like getting out all series, he is our rock solid.
When Am I gonna see him in the same line up as haris and Barba

[Chokli]

Think he has the game for ODIs?

He should have been given a chance in ODIs long time ago.

[pasha404]

Liked what we have seen but ideally he should convert those scores into a big hundred

[Varun]

Don't hype him. Don't hype him.

Make up your mind after 10 more test matches. Not now.

[haris93]

Whoever has coached him should become Pakistan's batting coach then. Imagine the work they can do with the rest!!!

You can improve a player Only if he himself wants to rectify his problems

[ABMiller]

Surprised that Mickey is yet to come up with a matching legend for Shan.

May be Shan LARA Masood or may be Shan Hayden Masood.

He will come up with either of the above soon.

[GoUgandaCranes]

As much as I liked how he played, he isn't the solution. He plays the short ball well, which is surprising but the moment someone pitches on the off-stump and tries to nibble the ball, he's found fishing. Happened to him in England, and happened here in RSA as well.

It's just that RSA took two tests to figure it out but it hasn't really cost them anything as they comfortably won the tests anyway.

The bloke is fine and I'm mighty impressed and apologize for all the internal jokes about him playing cricket but he won't solve anything.

[shortbread]

Surprised that Mickey is yet to come up with a matching legend for Shan.

May be Shan LARA Masood or may be Shan Hayden Masood.

He will come up with either of the above soon.

They should stick with him and push him to achieve 3 figure scores. He looked at ease in SA against the best pace attack in the world atm. Very Impressive!

The worry is once the circus returns to the UAE and the tried and tested faliures start scoring big runs on dead pitches against weak opposition, the likes of Shan risk losing their prominence among the seniors, talents, stars etc.

[Prince of Pakistan]

Have SA worked Shan Masood out? I guess we will see in the next innings.

[hadi123]

I think he'll do good in 2nd innings. It was law of averages that he failed in the 1st innings, every batsman gets out for a low score now and then, part of the game.

[Hamza_]

Has some issues with outswing/shape away?

[Prince of Pakistan]

Has some issues with outswing/shape away?

He used to be Anderson's bunny.

But there isn't much swing here so I hope he will be able to cope with the line in the second innings.

[The Viper]

Let’s see how he fares in the second innings. It was a great delivery to get him.

[babajee]

I don't care if he fails in the next innings. He's shown his ability and deserves a longer rope in the team now.

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Should have scored 1 century here when he was in the form of his life.

Though he was unlucky a few times.

He is sure starter in our next test series and i will also include him in our odi side instead of Imam and Hafeez.

[WengerOut]

Best Pak batsman on this SA tour. Yes, Babar has scored, but it was more of desperation than in full control ( when strictly comparing to Shan).

[superman]

Look, I have had my doubts about Shan Masood, but he's worked hard and he is looking really good.

More to the point, Blind Freddie can see that Sarfraz Ahmed has been mentally destroyed by the captaincy and that he needs to be relieved of it to see whether he can do a "Botham" and return to his previous playing form.

Pakistan needs a skipper and Babar Azam has only just established himself as the best player, so it's a little too soon for him.

Shan Masood is the smartest and most educated guy in the team, and he's playing well.

Give it to him as a stopgap for 2 years, almost like Tim Paine.

Babar Azam has just established himself! Ok this guy is not even a regular in any team yet he is ok for captaincy???

[Markhor]

Shan the saviour Masood has scored 12, 32, 6 and 45 in his first four innings of QEA19.

Come on man, if you're not cashing in on the flat pitches and Kookaburra ball then how can you expect to avoid another dropping from the Pakistan team ?

Abid Ali, Omair Yousuf and Sami Aslam have outperformed him so far.

[Usman]

Shan the saviour Masood has scored 12, 32, 6 and 45 in his first four innings of QEA19.

Come on man, if you're not cashing in on the flat pitches and Kookaburra ball then how can you expect to avoid another dropping from the Pakistan team ?

Abid Ali, Omair Yousuf and Sami Aslam have outperformed him so far.

But but but he can speak English so make him captain

The reality is this. All players who are given enough chances will have the odd good match or odd decent series. The same is the case for Masood. However, in the end, you have recognise his domestic record where his batting average languishes in the low 30s - a batsman who is poor in Pakistani domestic cricket will, long term, be even poorer in international cricket. The decision to play and stick with Masood is a poor one and soon enough it will cause long term damage.

[Hasan123]

He needs some big scores. He has made improvements, but if you can’t get score big in tests you won’t keep your place.

[Abdullah719]

Good display in the first session at the Gabba. Needs to carry on and get a decent score now.

[iRfaN_LA]

Short ball rattled him big time. He just couldn’t recover and finally gave it away. Weak display

[Hawkeye]

There's no Shan Masood 2.0.

He's the same one - clueless, club level, not fit for international cricket.

[coy0607]

He’s gets set, but never really plays any scoring shots. You can’t just keep blocking endlessly, you’ll never build up any confidence and just eventually get out.

He’s got mental issues, like Sami Aslam

Imam is the way to go

[Mamoon]

The difference between him and Imam is that the latter knows how to score runs.

[MenInG]

So can he do justice to his talent in England?

[Cric1234]

The difference between him and Imam is that the latter knows how to score runs.

Imam averages 25 after 11 tests so no he isn’t better than Masood in English conditions against their bowling Imam wouldn’t be giving sleepless nights to their bowlers.

[Mamoon]

Imam averages 25 after 11 tests so no he isn’t better than Masood in English conditions against their bowling Imam wouldn’t be giving sleepless nights to their bowlers.

Imam is a better player than what he has shown in Test cricket so far. He has a higher ceiling than Masood.

No Pakistan batsman is going to give sleepless nights to English bowlers (including Babar) so it is a moot point.

[Cric1234]

Imam is a better player than what he has shown in Test cricket so far. He has a higher ceiling than Masood.

No Pakistan batsman is going to give sleepless nights to English bowlers (including Babar) so it is a moot point.

No he isn’t actually to me he will consistently struggle if he’s selected in tests the best one could hope for long term is an average in the 30-35 range which isn’t better than Masood.

[Mir jibran]

So can he do justice to his talent in England?

Perhaps a career defining tour for him

[Hawkeye]

The sooner he's booted out, the better for our team.

Not good enough and mediocrity can't stay hidden for a long time.

[Suleiman]

Yeah it’s too late now. I gave him a final chance and he didn’t take it. We’ll get em next time.

It’s a crime to look good for 1-2 overs and then get dismissed- an even bigger one to make a career out of it.

[Arsal_AK]

The sooner he's booted out, the better for our team.

Not good enough and mediocrity can't stay hidden for a long time.

We need to boot out Azhar, Asad and others first. After Babar, Shan is the first name on the team sheet when it comes to batting.

He has earned his spot in this team.

[Hawkeye]

We need to boot out Azhar, Asad and others first. After Babar, Shan is the first name on the team sheet when it comes to batting.

He has earned his spot in this team.

A long time Junaid Khan supporter, still having his profile pic, cannot be expected to give a rational and expert cricketing opinion.

[Arsal_AK]

A long time Junaid Khan supporter, still having his profile pic, cannot be expected to give a rational and expert cricketing opinion.

Ahh, so that's it? I don't claim to be an expert on cricket, rational arguments I can do. How about we let profile pics be and get to that?

I'll put it another way, in the last 2-3 years what have the others, bar Babar, done which Shan hasn't?

[Hawkeye]

Ahh, so that's it? I don't claim to be an expert on cricket, rational arguments I can do. How about we let profile pics be and get to that?

I'll put it another way, in the last 2-3 years what have the others, bar Babar, done which Shan hasn't?

Asad, despite being a softie almost all the times, is 10x the batsman Shan Masood is.

Azar is on a completely different planet. He's our best Test opener in decades, averages over 40, has a double ton in Aus as well, played a major part in the fastest ever Test chase leading to victory partnering Misbah.

Anyway, my point is, as far as skills and batting talent go, both Azhar and Shafiq are miles ahead.

So, you can imagine how bad Shan Masood is, and will be - mediocrity can't hide for long, like I said.

[TeymurBlake]

Shan is in a interesting predicament right now. Other than the final test performance against SL, he was almost kicked out for the team. This series is HUGE for him. Its not about getting just starts, its about building on them. Last time round in England, he struggle, A LOT and now is the time for him to rectify those mistakes. He is gonna have to take charge specially since his opening partner is new to the English conditions.

[Junaids]

The sooner he's booted out, the better for our team.

Not good enough and mediocrity can't stay hidden for a long time.

Shan Masood this last 18 months has been literally twice as good as Azhar Ali.

If Shan goes, Azhar has to go first.

[Arsal_AK]

Asad, despite being a softie almost all the times, is 10x the batsman Shan Masood is.

Azar is on a completely different planet. He's our best Test opener in decades, averages over 40, has a double ton in Aus as well, played a major part in the fastest ever Test chase leading to victory partnering Misbah.

Anyway, my point is, as far as skills and batting talent go, both Azhar and Shafiq are miles ahead.

So, you can imagine how bad Shan Masood is, and will be - mediocrity can't hide for long, like I said.

And Akmal was miles ahead of them too, had all the talent in the world. It doesn't mean jack.

Azhar was on a completely different planet. He is no longer the same player. He averages 28 (could be less) in the last 3 years. That is a horrible return for anyone let alone the captain of the team.

Similar story for Asad, the guy have played tests for around a decade now and is still the same, with the odd good innings in 20. But atleast he has done better than Azhar.

The point is Shan averages 40 on the last 3 years and has been out best batsman behind Babar. He averages the lowest in the UAE in that period.

He is in the team because he is performing. When he doesn't we can start talking about dropping him. Right now, he has earned himself a good rope.