Abdullah Shafique is better than Virat Kohli? Shan Masood's controversial support raises eyebrows

Pakistan's Test captain Shan Masood has made a shocking statement on the iconic India batter Virat Kohli, who has recently become the fastest player in the world to complete 27000 runs in an international arena.

The most shocking thing was that Shan Masood downgraded Kohli. Showing his full support to struggling opener Abdullah Shafique, the Pakistan captain said that the young batter has a better record than Virat Kohli in Test cricket.

He made these controversial remarks at a press conference ahead of Pakistan's upcoming Test series against England, where he faced questions about Shafique’s alarming dip in form with the bat.

Shan Masood compares Abdullah Shafique's Test stats to Virat Kohli's

The 24-year-old Shafique has faced intense scrutiny following a lackluster performance in the recent two-match Test series against Bangladesh, where he managed to score only 38 runs across four innings.

Fans and critics have raised eyebrows, questioning the selection process that continues to favor underperforming players while overlooking others like domestic cricket star Kamran Ghulam.

Shan Masood's surprising defense of Shafique ignited a firestorm of debate as he challenged the validity of the criticism aimed at the young batsman. He argued that mixing Test and T20I statistics is misleading, declaring that Shafique’s overall performance across 19 Tests makes him statistically superior to Kohli, who is hailed as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

Critics quickly dismissed Shan Masood's comparison as outrageous, emphasizing that Kohli’s credentials are unmatched, with a record that includes numerous accolades, centuries, and crucial performances in key matches. However, Shan Masood defended his teammate Abdullah by highlighting their respective records after 19 Tests.

While Virat Kohli amassed 1,178 runs at an average of 40.62 in his first 19 matches since making his Test debut in 2011, Shafique has surpassed him with a total of 1,372 runs in the same number of matches in his first 19 Test matches for Pakistan.

Shafique has a better record than Kohli: Shan Masood

Shan Masood said at the press conference: “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.”

The Pakistan captain signed off by saying, “When you are making a team, it is the responsibility of the team. Look, the responsibility is mine. I have to take the pain as a leader. Not just mine, but of others as well. Only then something will happen. In the end, I will be happy.

"If I have backed a player, and God willing, he becomes a very good servant for Pakistan and scores a lot of runs for Pakistan, and if in that process I have to give up my place, I will not regret it. If I am doing the right thing, I will always sleep peacefully. I will live my life peacefully.”

Watch Masood's claims here:

"If I back a player who becomes a good servant for Pakistan cricket and lose my own spot in the process, I will have no regrets."

Shan Masood answered a question about Pakistan's Test openers.#PAKvENG | #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/ecNlKGhssN

— Grassroots Cricket (@grassrootscric) September 30, 2024