"You need time" - Shan Masood calls for patience as Pakistan attempt to play aggressively in Test cricket

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has called for patience as they try to take an aggressive approach against world-class teams in the format.

With the tourists suffering a heavy defeat in the opening Test in Perth, the left-hander believes assessing a team based on one match is unfair. Pakistan tumbled to a 360-run loss at the Optus Stadium in Perth as Australia hardly gave the tourists any breathing space across facets.

The hosts scored at a good pace in both innings (RR of 4.29 in first innings, 3.67 in second) and were relentless with the ball. In pursuit of 450 in the fourth innings, Pakistan were bowled out for only 89.

Speaking at a presser on Monday, Masood said players need to be given time to adapt to their style of play and is optimistic about doing it moving forward, having done so earlier this year in Sri Lanka. As quoted by Cricbuzz, he stated:

"One Test is never a fair assessment. You need time. You need a bit more time. You've already got a squad that's been playing Test cricket for a while. You have to look at the domestic structure and the players available for red-ball cricket. You need players to buy in.

"We want to give players ample opportunity to buy into the way we want to play. There are some things that we've said from the outside that we want to play a more attractive brand of Test cricket. We did that in Sri Lanka. We got some results as well. The challenge now is to do it against the best teams in world cricket."

Pakistan played an attacking brand of cricket in Sri Lanka earlier this year during their 2-0 series win, scoring at over 3.50 runs an over. The likes of Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, and Agha Salman starred with the bat for the tourists.

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"I thought that I had a decent start in Perth" - Shan Masood

Shan Masood. (Image Credits: Twitter)

Masood also highlighted the need to play positive cricket from the outset to match Australia's intensity and keep them on their toes. The southpaw also lamented not converting his start into a big score in the first innings in Perth.

Masood scored 30 runs from 43 deliveries before being caught behind off a Mitchell Starc delivery. He added, via the aforementioned source:

"If we have to compete against Australia here, we have to start well and get quickly off the blocks and play a positive brand of cricket, which you have to give the guys sometime. It can't happen overnight. You have to see how players play naturally.

"You have to convince them as to how you want them to play and then give them a proper chance and also try and set the tone yourself. I thought that I had a decent start in Perth but couldn't capitalise on it. Got out at the wrong time."

Pakistan's last Test win Down Under came in the 1995-96 series, where they won the last Test match in a 2-1 series loss.