LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday confirmed that Shan Masood will continue as captain of the test team for the upcoming two-match series against Bangladesh in August.
Prior to the T20 World Cup, Babar Azam was reinstated as the skipper for white-ball cricket, a move described as strategic by the PCB. The plan was to make Babar Azam captain in the red-ball cricket after the T20 World Cup.
However, following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, the PCB has opted to continue with Shan Masood as the test captain.
Masood took over the role after Babar stepped down from captaincy across all formats following last year’s ODI World Cup.
In Babar’s absence from T20Is, Shaheen Afridi was appointed as the captain. Chairman Mohsin Naqvi mentioned that he held a video call with Masood to discuss improvements for the team in Test cricket.
“No decision has been made to replace Shan Masood as Test captain of the national team,” he clarified. Naqvi added that the 34-year-old opening batsman will continue to lead the Men in Green in Tests, citing positive feedback received regarding Masood’s leadership.
“Many have expressed praise for his leadership,” stated the PCB chairman.
Regarding the venues for the Bangladesh Test series, Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the PCB has finalized the locations for the series, which will be held in Multan, Karachi, or Rawalpindi, as Gaddafi Stadium is currently undergoing upgrades.
It is noteworthy that the two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is part of the ICC Test Championship 2023-2025.
