Rawalpindi, Aug 14 (IANS): Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has called for the country to play more Test matches as they prepares for a rare and packed season of red-ball cricket, starting with a two-match series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on August 21.

Pakistan are set to play seven Tests at home, facing Bangladesh, England, and the West Indies, with a two-Test series in South Africa. The last time Pakistan played more than six Tests in a single season was in 1998-99, over 25 years ago.

The two Tests against Bangladesh will be their first since the New Year's Test in Sydney earlier this year. Once this home season concludes in January 2025, Pakistan will face a long gap, with no Test cricket scheduled until October 2025, when South Africa visits, followed by another long break until March 2026.

Speaking on the PCB podcast, Masood alongside Test coach Jason Gillespie by former cricketer and broadcaster Bazid Khan, emphasised the need for more consistent Test cricket for Pakistan.

"We need more Test cricket," Masood said. "For me, it's more about how we can get our team to play more Test matches. That comes down to scheduling, reducing the gaps, and ensuring we have consistent Test squads going forward. We're playing nine Test matches in four months, but we've also had to deal with an unfortunate calendar where we played in Australia, and then we're playing our next Test after ten months. These are challenges that Pakistan cricket needs to address going forward."

"If I'm being brutally honest, in home Test matches, because they've been played at different times of the year and against different nations, we still haven't found our ideal way of playing at home that suits our batting, bowling, and overall style," the captain added.

Masood’s concerns extend beyond just the number of Tests. He believes that Pakistan has yet to establish a strong identity in home Test matches. After Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019, the team initially built a solid record at home. However, since beating South Africa in January 2021, Pakistan has not won a Test in three home series, including a whitewash by England and a draw with New Zealand.

"In Test cricket, which is the ultimate challenge in the game, you have to be familiar with certain conditions," Masood said. "Yes, we've been playing at home since 2019, but other teams have been playing on their home soils for much longer. We still have to decide what our best approach at home is."

One of the key areas of focus for Pakistan in the upcoming series against Bangladesh is establishing a stronger home advantage. The Test squad for the series is packed with fast bowlers, with only one specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, included.

This selection strategy is reminiscent of the early days of Test cricket’s return to Pakistan when the team relied on pace and found success against teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. However, in more recent series against Australia, England, and New Zealand, where spin was favoured, Pakistan struggled.

Masood is clear about what needs to be done: "We need to determine what helps us win as a team. How can we create conditions that suit us more and put us in the driving seat, rather than just thinking about how we can cope with the opposition?"

Gillespie echoed Masood’s sentiments, acknowledging the challenges of developing a consistent identity at home. However, he expressed confidence that the team has the resources to succeed, whether on fast, bouncy tracks or slower, spin-friendly surfaces.

"I think the identity will sort itself out. In this next period of time, seven Test matches out of nine are in Pakistan, which is fantastic," Gillespie said. "We need to be flexible and adaptable, but we'll certainly have a basic blueprint on how we want to play our games."

With a busy Test schedule ahead, managing the players’ workload has become a priority. Key players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah were not given NOCs to play in overseas leagues, as the focus remains on representing Pakistan.

"We've got multi-format players, and we've got to look after them as best we can," Gillespie said. "The priority is representing Pakistan, but if there are opportunities - on a case-by-case basis - where a player can learn about their game and play better cricket, which in turn will help them be a better cricketer for Pakistan, then we'll certainly consider those opportunities."