Following a disheartening defeat to England in the first Test, reports suggest that Shan Masood is set to be sacked as Pakistan’s Test captain. England delivered a dominant performance, winning by an innings and 47 runs, marking one of Pakistan’s worst Test defeats on home soil. On Day 5, despite brief resistance from Salman Ali Agha (63) and Aamer Jamal (55*), Pakistan was bowled out for 220, making history as the first team to lose by an innings after scoring over 500 in the first innings.
Masood’s captaincy, which began in December last year, has been under immense scrutiny due to Pakistan’s dismal performances in recent Test matches. According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to relieve Masood of his duties after the conclusion of the ongoing series against England. The report indicates that three players are being considered to replace Masood as captain: Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Ali Agha.
Pakistan’s Decline Under Masood’s Leadership
Since Shan Masood assumed leadership in the longest format, Pakistan has lost all six of their Test matches. The team hit an unprecedented low last month, suffering a 0-2 series defeat at home to Bangladesh—marking the first time Pakistan lost a Test series to their South Asian rivals. Pakistan’s performances have been marred by batting collapses and ineffective bowling on home pitches.
In the first Test against Bangladesh, Pakistan declared at 448/6 but conceded 565 in response, ultimately collapsing to 146 all out and losing by 10 wickets. A similar pattern unfolded in the Test against England, where Pakistan, despite posting 556 in the first innings, allowed England to score 823/7, with Harry Brook smashing a triple century. Pakistan’s second-innings collapse saw them score only 220, sealing another humiliating defeat.
Leadership Change on the Horizon
The potential sacking of Shan Masood comes just days after Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain following a disappointing run of form. Under Babar’s leadership, Pakistan faced an early exit from the T20 World Cup, including losses to hosts USA and India. Babar’s personal form has also been under the microscope, as he has failed to score a half-century in Tests this year and managed only one fifty during the T20 World Cup.
With the end of the series against England fast approaching, Pakistan’s leadership is once again in transition. The PCB’s decision on Masood’s successor will be crucial in attempting to reverse the team’s fortunes in the longer format.
