The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly on the verge of replacing Shan Masood as the captain of the national Test team after a string of disappointing results. Masood, who took charge of the Test side earlier this year, has faced severe scrutiny following a winless streak on home soil, capped by a heavy defeat to England in Multan.
Downfall of Shan Masood
Shan Masood’s captaincy tenure has been far from smooth. Under his leadership, Pakistan has struggled to find its footing in Test matches, especially on home turf. The loss in Multan against England was a major blow, marking a new low for the team as it continued its winless streak in Pakistan.
Masood took over at a challenging time, and although he displayed individual skill as a batters, the team’s overall performance has been underwhelming. Pakistan’s first defeat in Test history after scoring more than 500 runs in the first innings came under Masood’s leadership, a record that only added fuel to the fire of criticism.
This defeat led to widespread disappointment, not only among the fans but within the PCB itself. Masood openly admitted that he was disappointed by the result, which saw his team lose by an innings.
Pakistan’s poor Test form can be attributed to a variety of factors, including poor team selection, inconsistent form of key players, and Masood’s struggle to inspire and lead the team effectively. While Masood has a good cricketing brain, his leadership skills have been questioned in light of the team’s overall underperformance.
Instability in Pakistan Cricket
The Pakistan cricket landscape has seen a lot of instability over the last few years, especially in the leadership department. Babar Azam, Pakistan’s former captain in all three formats, was removed after a dismal World Cup 2023 campaign. The PCB then opted for split captaincy, with Shan Masood taking charge of the Test side.
However, Masood’s appointment as Test captain did little to improve the team’s fortunes. Pakistan lost all their matches during the tour of Australia, and confusion continued to brew with musical chairs being played in the white-ball captaincy as well. Babar’s stepping down from white-ball formats following Pakistan’s early exit in the T20 World Cup 2024 further compounded the issues.
Potential candidates to replace Shan Masood
One of the leading candidates to replace Shan Masood is Mohammad Rizwan. As a senior member of the team and an influential player in both the Test and white-ball formats, Rizwan has demonstrated his ability to lead with composure and tactical awareness.
Saud Shakeel is another name being considered for the Test captaincy. As a rising star in Pakistan cricket, Shakeel has shown potential in his performances with both bat and ball.
Salman Ali Agha, though not the most obvious choice, is also in the mix for the leadership role. His all-round capabilities and cricketing intelligence could see him step up if the PCB is looking for a left-field option to reinvigorate the Test side.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
