Former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq feels that Pakistan should utilize the current form of Shan Masood by making him a part of Pakistan's limited-overs squads.
In an exclusive interview with Jazz Cricket, Misbah heaped praise on the development of Masood when asked if he should be a part of Pakistan's white-ball setup. Masood has been in terrific form with the bat in the UK for Derbyshire. He's second on the list of highest run-getters in this year's County Championship.
The left-hander amassed 844 runs in just seven innings with two double centuries. Shan was also named PCA 'Player of the Month' for April for his phenomenal performances. He's currently leading Derbyshire in the ongoing T20 Blast 2022.
"I think looking at his performances, his development has been outstanding," said Misbah-ul-Haq.
"In one-day cricket [List A], he averages close to 57, scored a lot of centuries. And then the way he has performed in County Cricket, his performances in the PSL, he deserves a place," he continued.
There's a tough competition amongst the batters to get picked into the national team. But, according to the ex-Pakistan head coach, Masood should be kept as a reserve player in the squad, and if someone's unavailable to play, then he should get the nod ahead of anyone else.
"Whatever the case may be, he should be in the squad. And you have to keep in mind, that Pakistan have a very strong top three. It's very difficult to replace anyone but at some point, you have to keep in mind, that anything can happen. At least such a strong player should be kept in the loop.”
Misbah also highlighted the possibility of playing Masood in the middle order.
"At some point, you should give him a few matches and keep on giving him confidence. And then you have to decide that if anyone from 4,5 or 6 isn't performing, in the future you can talk to either Shan [Masood] or Abdullah Shafique and maybe use them there," added Misbah.
"That will be a plus and it will be a positive thing for the Pakistan side," he concluded.