It's up to you, new York (shire) as Shan Masood reaffirms desire to stay

In an update on his situation, the Pakistan Test captain said that conversations are continuing.

“It depends on the club; a lot’s happening,” he said. “Personally, county cricket’s been really beneficial for me. In that time I’ve chosen to play county cricket ahead of franchise cricket, because I feel that county cricket allows me to play all three formats.

“If I have to choose a club myself, it would always be here, so now the onus is on the club in terms of what they want to do.

“I love playing cricket, and hopefully it’s for Yorkshire.”

With speculation having also surrounded the future of Ottis Gibson, the head coach, who is coming towards the end of his third year in charge, Masood’s situation would seem up in the air.

He has been a fine servant and ambassador in his two years as skipper, and his performances in the County Championship, especially, have been consistently impressive.

Yorkshire will no doubt want to assess the balance of their team in terms of overseas players, having taken a root-and-branch review of the club full-stop following the profligate spending of the previous regime and its proclivity for awarding eye-watering salaries.

Masood’s dedication cannot be faulted, and although he leaves for Pakistan’s Test series against Bangladesh after next week’s One-Day Cup double-header at Scarborough, and will miss the next two Championship fixtures, he is promising to return as soon as possible for the run-in.

“Obviously, I’m sad to be missing the last two one-day games, and also that I’m not going to be playing against Sussex and Middlesex (in the Championship), but my commitment to the club has been there from day one,” he added.

“The only other place I see myself playing is Pakistan, and your country always comes first, but as soon as I get free (from international duty) then I’m on that first flight even if it’s overnight and I have to play a match the next morning; I will be back here playing for Yorkshire.

“I’m here for six of the eight one-day games (Masood would also be available should Yorkshire reach the final on September 22), and hopefully those six matches can be defining in terms of how we do in this competition.

“We’ve played three games so far, six innings all together, batting and bowling combined, and I think in five of those innings we’ve done really well, and although the results show 2-1 in our favour, it could easily have been 3-0.”

Masood top-scored in Yorkshire’s most recent game against Sussex on Wednesday, striking 63 from 79 balls with three fours and a six as the hosts made 261 before dismissing their opponents for 212.

Today they face Gloucestershire at the same York ground, with Masood keen to continue his personal momentum.

“I’m quite critical of my batting,” he said. “I feel that ever since that incident against Lancashire, when I had to take a week off for concussion (after being hit on the helmet in a T20), I think I’ve come back in and got starts - except for a couple of games against Notts - and not been able to cash in.

“At the Oval, I got a decent start, then I got one down the leg side. Again (against Sussex), after grafting, I probably wanted to bat the 50 overs.

“I still feel I’m hitting the ball well, but it’s about spending more time at the crease, which hopefully I can do in the next few games.

"Hopefully, we can now finish off the York leg with a win against a good Gloucester team.”