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'Abdullah Shafique Has Better Record Than Virat Kohli,': Pakistan Test Skipper Makes A Shocking Claim

Shan Masood makes a bold claim [Source: @SaithHamzamir/X.com]Shan Masood makes a bold claim [Source: @SaithHamzamir/X.com]

On September 30, Pakistan's Test captain Shan Masood stirred a debate during an interview when he made a bold comparison between Pakistan's young batter Abdullah Shafique and Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli. Masood backed Shafique by comparing Shafique's stats at the same point in his career were better than Kohli's.

Despite his early promise, Abdullah Shafique has faced a challenging period recently. In his last 19 innings, he has scored 457 runs at an average of 24.05. However, he did have a standout performance in Sri Lanka, where he scored a double century with 201 runs in a single innings. Excluding that innings, his average drops dramatically to 14.22, indicating his struggle for consistency. 

Shan Masood took over the captaincy from Babar Azam towards the end of 2023. However, his tenure has been marred by Pakistan's poor performance in the Test arena. Since his appointment, Pakistan has failed to secure a Test victory, which has led to increased scrutiny from the media. 

During a recent press conference, a Pakistani journalist questioned Masood about the team’s preference for certain inconsistent players like Shafique, while others like Kamran Ghulam were overlooked. 

In response to the criticism, Shan Masood firmly defended his players and challenged the media's selective use of statistics. He emphasised the importance of viewing stats in context and avoiding comparisons between different formats like Tests and T20Is. He made a bold claim that Abdullah Shafique’s numbers are better than Virat Kohli’s after 19 Test matches.

“With all due respect, I don’t think your question is accurate… I agree that Pakistan hasn’t played good cricket in 2024, but mixing Tests and T20I stats is not right. Things should be looked at objectively. You talk about stats. The other day I was reading a stat that Abdullah Shafique, who has played 19 Tests, has a better record than Virat Kohli," Masood said, defending his selection choices.

Abdullah Shafique Vs Virat Kohli: A Comparison

Shan Masood’s comparison focused on the first 19 Tests of both players. Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, had scored 1,178 runs at an average of 40.62 by that point. On the other hand, Shafique, who debuted in 2021, has 1,372 runs in 19 Tests, with four centuries and five fifties to his name.