Lahore, October 11, 2025: Pakistan captain Shan Masood on Saturday described the upcoming two-Test home series against reigning champions South Africa as a “massive opportunity” for his side to begin their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 campaign on a high note.
Addressing a pre-match press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium, Masood said facing the world champions in the opening assignment would serve as a “measuring stick” for the team’s progress and boost confidence for the rest of the championship cycle.
“It is a very good opportunity for us — we are starting our campaign against a winning team, so it will be a measuring stick,” Masood said. “South Africa are the champions, and by the will of Almighty Allah, if we can draw good results against them, it would lift our confidence. There cannot be a better opportunity than this for Pakistan.”
Pakistan endured a disappointing run in the previous WTC cycle, finishing at the bottom of the nine-team table with only five wins in 14 matches, while South Africa dethroned Australia to claim the coveted mace.
The new cycle begins with Pakistan hosting the Proteas in Lahore and Rawalpindi, where spin-friendly pitches are expected to play a decisive role — a strategy Masood endorsed, emphasizing that “taking 20 wickets” would be the key to success rather than piling up big first-innings totals.
“If both teams score 600 runs on a flat wicket, we will not benefit from it,” Masood noted. “Sometimes you sacrifice runs to create situations where 20 wickets are possible.”
The Pakistan skipper also addressed uncertainty surrounding spinner Sajid Khan, who is recovering from a viral fever, adding that a final decision on his availability would be made after medical consultation.
Masood further hinted that Pakistan could field an unconventional combination, possibly with three spinners and one fast bowler, depending on conditions on match day.
“Looking at the pitch tomorrow, we could even go with three spinners and one fast bowler,” he said.
The first Test between Pakistan and South Africa begins Sunday at the Gaddafi Stadium, marking the start of both teams’ quest for supremacy in the new WTC cycle.
