Pakistan retain Shan Masood as test cricket captain despite poor record

It has lost all five Tests under his captaincy, including a shock home series loss against Bangladesh.

Shan Masood will continue to lead Pakistan in the upcoming series against England, despite losing his first five Tests as captain. Masood, a 34-year-old top order batsman, was named captain in the 15-man squad announced Tuesday for next month’s first Test in Multan, According to Firstpost.

Masood, the 34-year-old top-order batsman, has retained his place as Pakistan announced a 15-member squad Tuesday for the opening Test next month in the southeastern city of Multan.

Local media had opined that Masood was in the axe-man’s line of vision ahead of a hectic Test season for the country following Pakistan’s surprise 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh in August.

Pakistan had never lost a Test to Bangladesh, and the twin defeats at Rawalpindi marked only the second instance that Pakistan lost all matches in a series at home after the 2022 England across town, its opponents in another series in hand.

Masood has taken it to five losses since he replaced Babar Azam as skipper in November. He lost his first series 3-0 in Australia.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stuck with Masood as their Australian head coach Jason Gillespie sought consistency.

Pakistan is currently languishing in the eighth position in the International Cricket Council’s men’s Test team ranking with 76 rating points after 20 matches in the current cycle of the World Test Championship. Australia tops the chart with 124 points, followed closely by India, with England third.

The Pakistan-England three-match Test series starts on October 7 when the first of the three Tests begins in Multan, while the second match will take place there from October 15 and the third at Rawalpindi from October 24.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said the team announcement was for only the first Test.

The board said in a press release: “The 15-man squad is for the first Test and based on the recommendation of head coach Gillespie, the selected players will attend a training camp in Multan from October 1.”
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali has replaced fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, who is recovering from a side strain.

Pacer Mohammad Ali, who played both Bangladesh Tests, and batter Kamran Ghulam, an unused member of the squad, have been dropped.

All-rounder Aamer Jamal returns after missing the Bangladesh series with a back problem.

“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin,” Gillespie was quoted as saying by the PCB.

Squad (for first Test): Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi.