Pakistan's Shan Masood better prepared for his nemesis James Anderson during England Test series

Top order batsman, regarded by many as most improved cricketer of recent years, ready for Test series which begins in Manchester on Wednesday

Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam of Pakistan warm up during training ahead of the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. Getty

Babar Azam of Pakistan looks on during a nets session at Old Trafford in Manchester. AP

Shaheen Afridi of Pakistan bowls during a nets session at Old Trafford in Manchester on Monday. AP

Azhar Ali of Pakistan looks on during a nets session at Old Trafford in Manchester. The first Test begins on Wednesday. AP

Wahab Riaz of Pakistan during a nets session at Old Trafford. AP

Naseem Shah of Pakistan reacts during a training session. AP

Sarfaraz Ahmed of Pakistan has a laugh during training. AP

Pakistan spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed looks on during a nets session at Old Trafford. PA

Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq in Manchester. PA

Shan Masood of Pakistan during training in Manchester. Getty

Azhar Ali of Pakistan looks on during training. Getty

Yasir Shah, Asad Shafiq and and Babar Azam of Pakistan practice slip catching. Getty

In the Abu Dhabi Test match of 2015, Shan Masood found an obscure way to miss the run feast.

At the end of the third over of the match, he was surprised by a rare bouncer by James Anderson while batting on a typical Zayed Cricket Stadium featherbed.

The ball reared towards his face, clunked into the grille of his helmet, and bounced down onto his middle stump.

He had to traipse off having made just two runs, then watch on as his opening partner Mohammed Hafeez made 98, Asad Shafiq 107, and Shoaib Malik a mammoth 245.

Missing out on that run-spree was soon to become the least of his worries. The bizarre dismissal set in train a run of events that led to him being regarded as Anderson’s bunny.

In each of the next five innings he played against England’s leading Test wicket-taker, Masood fell to him.

In all, he has faced 57 balls against Anderson in Test cricket, made 15 runs off him, and been dismissed six times.

Five years on, Masood is a different player to that callow newbie trying to pin down a place in the Pakistan top order.

He has made centuries in each of his past two Test matches, against Sri Lanka at the end of last year and Bangladesh at the start of this, and is regarded by many as the most improved international cricketer of recent years.

Now Masood 2.0 is faced with his biggest test to date: facing up to his nemesis when Pakistan return to Test cricket against England on Wednesday at Old Trafford.

"He is a great bowler, and I don't have to tell anyone that," Masood told The National during lockdown.

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“He poses a threat to every batsman in the world. There is no shame in getting out to Jimmy Anderson, even if it is six out of six.

“What people do look at is, yes, it has been six out of six. But a few of the dismissals have been a bit freaky.

"When you are that great a bowler, sometimes you get rewarded for all the hard spells over the years as well.

“For a batsman, it is a game of one ball, when your game can turn. A bowler has six balls, they have a spell, so they have a greater chance of success than a batsman.

“If I compare myself to how I was in 2016, I have matured a lot as a person. I’ve grown as a cricketer. I feel I am better equipped at the moment.

“Those are the challenges you want to face. Even if it is six out of six again, I won’t put too much pressure on myself. I welcome and relish challenges.

“I think facing one of the best bowlers in the world and getting an opportunity to do well against them would be a challenge I would take on every time.”

It is not solely the Anderson showdown which is motivating Masood in this lockdown series.

He was born in Kuwait – before the family moved after the start of the Gulf War when he was a year old – and also lived in the United States as a child, but it is England which he deems his second home.

The 30-year-old opener went to school and university in the UK. He says he was fixated by the idea of a “fairytale” return the first time he played Test cricket for Pakistan there, and aims not to be distracted by the emotion this time around.

“The last couple of times I have played against England – once in UAE and once in England – I think I was a little bit too eager,” he said.

“England holds a special place for me, and I have been really eager to perform against them, and have a willingness to show people I can do it in England.

“I wanted to go back to England, which I considered my second home, and score runs over there. I expected a fairytale story.

“Honestly, deep down, when I looked at myself back then – and even when I look at myself now – I see quite a lot of shortcomings and see that there are things that I want to improve.

“That is always a good sign for me. Whenever people say something, or whenever people see shortcomings, you have to be careful that it doesn’t get you down mentally.

“But whenever you see there are things to fix, things to work towards, and things to achieve, it puts you in good stead. It means you work towards high, achievable goals.”

The left-hander says if he did not believe he could overcome the limitations he betrayed back in 2015 and 2016 he might as well have quit playing.

“The best thing about playing sports is that you are always going to be judged, and you are always going to be under scrutiny,” Masood said.

“You are always going to be under the spotlight. I’m no different to anyone else. I’m not special, I’m just like any other sportsman, I’m just like any other cricketer.

“If you are considered limited, or you are not considered good enough, at least you have a target to work towards.

“As long as I play the game, I would rather play it working towards something.

“If I don’t have a goal in mind, I might as well just quit playing. There would be no purpose in playing.”