‘Not a rushed call’: Saud Shakeel defends timing of declaration

Pakistan rebounded from a shaky start to reach a dominant 448/6 in the opening Test against Bangladesh, led by centuries from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan.

Shakeel scored 141 before falling, while Rizwan remained unbeaten on 171 as captain Shan Masood declared the innings, triggering discussion among fans over whether Rizwan should have been given more time to reach a double century.

Vice-captain Shakeel, addressing the declaration decision, noted that Rizwan had been informed an hour earlier. "Rizwan bhai knew our plan was to approach 450 runs before declaring," Shakeel said, dismissing the notion of a rushed decision.

On the second day, Bangladesh's opening pair of Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan resisted Pakistan's efforts, finishing at 27/0 by stumps. Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to make inroads in the 12 overs bowled, leaving the match finely poised heading into day three.