(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
PCB Reaffirms Shan Masood as Pakistan Test Captain for 2025–27 WTC Cycle
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed Shan Masood as Test captain for the upcoming 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, backing him despite a challenging stint over the past two years.
The decision followed a meeting in Lahore between Masood, Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood, and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. According to the board, both the captain and coach will have a “free hand” in managing the Test setup, though they remain outside the formal selection committee.
Masood took over the Test captaincy from Babar Azam in November 2023, but his leadership had come under scrutiny after Pakistan’s poor 2023–25 WTC campaign, finishing at the bottom of the standings with just three wins. The left-hander was also recently demoted from Category B to the lowest tier, Category D, in the central contracts list, raising questions about his future.
While Salman Ali Agha had been considered as a potential replacement, the PCB ultimately chose continuity.
Despite Pakistan’s struggles under his leadership—losing nine of 12 Tests—Masood has shown personal form at the top of the order. Moving from No. 3 to opener, he has scored two centuries across his last four Test series, raising his batting average into the mid-30s, the highest of his career.
The real challenge remains translating individual form into team victories. Pakistan opens its WTC campaign against defending champions South Africa in October, with home advantage expected to give Masood and Mahmood a chance to reset the team’s trajectory.
For now, the PCB is placing its trust in stability. Whether that faith pays off will depend on Masood’s ability to inspire wins in a format where Pakistan has too often been hampered by inconsistency.
