Pakistan captain wants more ruthlessness from his side

Pakistan will have to become more ruthless to improve their winning record in test cricket after letting slip a chance for a rare success away in South Africa, captain Shan Masood said on Sunday.

Pakistan had the home side floundering at 99 for eight, chasing a modest 148-run target in the first test at Centurion after a fiery bowling display from Mohammad Abbas on his return to the lineup for the first time in three years.

But despite needing only two more wickets for their first win in South Africa in 18 years, victory slipped from their grasp as the home side won in dramatic fashion.

"We had the game in our hand," Masood told reporters.

"I’m extremely proud of the efforts, but going forward as a team we need to be ruthless.

"We can only look at ourselves. You're going to make mistakes over several days, but you need to have a cushion. I don't think it's a quality issue. The quality is there, and we've seen it at various points,” he added.

Pakistan had success in their last test series at home against England in October, but earlier this year lost in Australia and were then beaten in two home tests by Bangladesh.

"Sometimes you learn the hard way. You can't use it as an excuse but the more we play test cricket, the more people get into sync,” Masood added.

“A lot of the players were playing for the first time in these conditions. It can be a really hard lesson where you feel like you've got the other team under pressure, but you still need to finish the job.”

Pakistan get another chance against South Africa when the second test starts in Cape Town on Friday.