Shan Masood Set To Be Sacked As Pakistan Test Captain: Report

Pakistan captain Shan Masood is all set to be sacked as the team’s Test skipper, a report has claimed. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly looking to replace Masood, under whose captaincy, Pakistan haven’t won a single Test at home. The Multan Test loss against England added to Masood’s troubles, and the Pakistan skipper himself admitted that he was disappointed to see his side lose the match by an innings. In the series opener, Pakistan became the first team in Test history to lose a game after scoring 500 plus runs in the first innings.

“It is disappointing to lose again. England found a way to win the match; they created their window of opportunity. Harsh reality is that test cricket quality sides find a way to win matches,” he told the media after the match on Friday.

As per a report in Pakistan’s Samaa TV, Masood will be sacked as the team’s Test captain after the conclusion of the 3-match series against England. The report has put names of Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Ali Agha as the potential candidates to replace Masood.

Shan scored 151 in the first innings to lead his team to a big total which was surpassed by England who declared at 823 for 7 after a brilliant 317 from Harry Brook and 262 from Joe Root.

“I wouldn’t say my team is mentally weak but we expected this pitch to break by the third day onwards that is why we prolonged our innings. But at the end of the day you have to find ways to take 20 wickets and we are not doing that in recent times,” he said.

Shan said the pitch was the same for both sides but a good formula to win Test matches is to put up a good first innings score so that you are in the driving seat in the third and fourth innings and then find windows to take 20 wickets.

He pointed out that Pakistan had played a Test in Multan for the first time since 2022 and didn’t get a chance to interact with the curator or groundsmen.

“Both squads were different this time in Multan. But we need to improve on ways to adapt too conditions and situations every day of a test and find ways to win as pitch changes everyday,” he said.

The Pakistan skipper admitted that the team was not learning from its mistakes and repeating them again and again.

With PTI Inputs