Former batter urges Pakistan to fix Shan Masood at No. 4 in ODIs

KARACHI: Former Pakistan batter Sohaib Maqsood has shared his thoughts on Pakistan’s middle-order composition ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, set to be staged in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Maqsood took to social media platform 'X', where he stressed the importance of consistency in selection and backed a key batter for a permanent role at No. 4, pointing to his recent form in white-ball cricket and strong performances in domestic and franchise competitions.

He emphasised that continuity in the batting line-up could significantly benefit the side, especially given the current performances of senior players in the middle order.

“Shan Masood has to be your number four till the World Cup. Can’t understand why he is in such red-hot white-ball form. He has been brilliant in the PSL in the middle order and his List A record speaks for itself,” Maqsood wrote.

He also raised concerns over pitch conditions and selection decisions, suggesting that some players may be better served waiting for opportunities on more balanced surfaces.

“Hassan Nawaz needs to get a gig in the middle order as well, but if you are going to prepare these kinds of pitches then all those batters not selected are better off lol. #PakvsAus And please don’t judge Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat on these conditions. Hope they get a series on proper ODI tracks,” he added.

Maqsood’s comments came after Pakistan, despite securing the three-match ODI series with a win in the low-scoring final in Lahore, struggled on a surface widely described as difficult for batting, with the middle order failing to make a significant impact.

The victory also marked Pakistan’s third consecutive ODI series win over Australia. The Men in Green first secured a 2-1 triumph at home in 2022 before repeating the same scoreline in Australia in 2025.

For the unversed, Shan Masood has played nine ODI matches, scoring 163 runs, including one half-century. His last 50-over appearance for Pakistan came against New Zealand in 2023.

In List A cricket, however, Masood boasts an impressive record, having scored 6,413 runs in 142 matches at an average of 53.00, including 17 centuries and 39 fifties.