Pakistan Cricket Board has stripped Shan Masood of the Test captaincy and handed the leadership back to Babar Azam, nearly three years after he stepped down from captaincy across all formats. The change was confirmed alongside the squad announcement for the upcoming tours of West Indies and England, catching many fans off guard. High-performance director Aaqib Javed has since laid out exactly why the board decided to make the switch.
Why Shan Masood was removed
According to Aaqib Javed, Pakistan lost several Test matches under Shan Masood's captaincy that were well within their grasp. He said the team repeatedly got close to sealing wins but failed to finish the job, and that pattern ultimately became the deciding factor behind the captaincy change.
He pointed to the Centurion Test against South Africa, where Pakistan had full control of the match, only for the opposition's last recognised batters to stitch together a partnership of 60 to 70 runs and turn the result around. A similar collapse happened in the second Test against West Indies in Multan, where Pakistan folded far too easily despite favourable conditions. Javed said such lapses kept repeating themselves, making them impossible for the board to overlook.
A captain's job extends beyond leading the side
Aaqib Javed made it clear that a captain's role is not limited to walking out for the toss and leading the team; converting a winning position into an actual result is just as much his responsibility. He said maintaining the over rate, using DRS reviews wisely, and making the right call at the toss are all part of a captain's duties. While some responsibilities rest with selectors and team management, he added, several on field decisions are ultimately the captain's own to answer for.
The numbers favour Babar Azam
Statistics appear to have weighed heavily on the board's decision. Pakistan played 12 Test matches under Shan Masood, winning just four of them. By contrast, during his earlier stint as Test captain, Babar Azam led the side in 20 matches, winning 10 and drawing four. That stronger win record is being seen as another major reason the captaincy has returned to him.
West Indies and England tours will be the real test
Babar Azam's new term begins with the tour of West Indies, where the two sides will play a two match Test series. The first Test runs from July 25 to 30 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, while the second is scheduled from August 2 to 7 at Queen's Park Oval. Pakistan will then travel to England for a far tougher three match series. The first Test against England will be played from August 19 to 23 at Headingley, the second from August 27 to 31 at Lord's, and the third and final Test at Edgbaston. That England series is widely viewed as the true test of Babar Azam's captaincy, since it will show just how well the board's decision pays off.
