Former captain Babar Azam has returned as Pakistan’s Test captain after Shan Masood was removed from the role following the team’s 0-2 series defeat against Bangladesh. The decision comes after a disappointing tenure in which Masood oversaw one of the worst starts by any Test captain in history.
Shan Masood’s stint as Pakistan’s Test captain officially came to an end on Sunday (July 5) after the Pakistan Cricket Board removed him from the role following the team’s 0-2 series whitewash against Bangladesh in May. Former skipper Babar Azam has now been reinstated as captain ahead of Pakistan’s two-match Test series against the West Indies.
Masood’s tenure ended on a disappointing note. Appointed as Test captain nearly three years ago, he led Pakistan in 16 Test matches, losing 12 of them. No captain in Test history has lost 12 of their first 16 matches. While 10 players have captained Pakistan in more Tests, only Misbah-ul-Haq has suffered more defeats as Pakistan skipper, losing 19 of his 56 matches in charge.
Pakistan have also lost their last three Test matches, further adding to the concerns surrounding the team’s performances.
Pakistan High Performance Director Aaqib Javed explained that the decision was based on the team’s inability to close out matches despite being in winning positions on multiple occasions.
“We saw many close Tests under Shan’s captaincy, but a few things weren’t being addressed. In the Centurion Test, South Africa’s last two batters added over 50 runs when the game was in our hands. Against the West Indies in Multan, we were rolled over too easily in the second Test. The captain has the responsibility of finishing games,” Javed said.
Masood’s captaincy began with arguably Pakistan’s toughest assignment—a Test tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3-0. The defeats continued as Pakistan suffered a historic 0-2 home series loss to Bangladesh, marking their first-ever Test series defeat against the Tigers.
The only major success during Masood’s reign came when Pakistan bounced back to defeat England in a memorable home series. However, that remained the lone bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming stint.
The PCB’s decision to hand the captaincy back to Babar Azam also highlights the lack of experienced leadership options currently available. Ironically, Babar himself has endured a prolonged lean patch since stepping down from captaincy in 2023, averaging just over 27 in Test cricket during Masood’s tenure.
Pakistan will now hope that Babar’s return as captain can revive their fortunes as they prepare for the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies.
