Following a 104-run Test defeat to Bangladesh, Shan Masood's captaincy is under heavy scrutiny after a series of poor results. Reports suggest the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering reinstating Babar Azam as the red-ball skipper, who previously had a more successful tenure.
Following a defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, reports have emerged that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may hand over red-ball captaincy duties back to Babar Azam, replacing Shan Masood.
On Tuesday, Pakistan suffered a 104-run defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series. After declaring their second innings at 240/9, the hosts set a 268-run target for Pakistan to chase. Nahid Khan’s five-wicket haul and Taskin Ahmed and Taijul IslamIslam’s two scalps each ensured that the visitors were bowled for 163 in 52.5 overs.
Apart from Abdullah Fazaz’s gritty 66-run innings, Pakistan struggled to build any significant partnerships as the Bangladesh bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout the final day.
Related Articles
Shan Masood’s Captaincy Under Scrutiny
Following Pakistan’s defeat to Bangladesh in the Test series opener, Shan Masood’s captaincy has come under heavy scrutiny, with criticism intensifying after he oversaw his 11th defeat in just 15 matches since taking over the leadership duties in December 2023.
Masood took over the mantle of Test captaincy from Babar Azam, who stepped down from leadership duties across all formats following Pakistan’s early exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup. Shan Masood’s first major assignment as a Test captain was the three-match series against Australia Down Under, which resulted in a complete whitewash.
Subsequently, Pakistan suffered their first Test series defeat to Bangladesh in 2024, before ending their home drought with a 2-1 series victory over England. However, momentum didn’t last, as they endured an away series loss to South Africa and drew their home series 1-1 against the West Indies.
The recent defeat to Bangladesh marked Pakistan’s third consecutive Test loss against them, following the historic 2-0 whitewash at home in 2024, leaving the team’s red-ball reputation in tatters.
With just four wins in 15 outings, Shan Masood’s win percentage as a Test captain stands at 26.7%, raising serious questions over his ability to lead the side in red-ball cricket.
Babar Azam to Return as Pakistan Test Captain?
As Shan Masood’s Test captaincy has been so far marred by inconsistent results and heavy defeats, the reports suggested that the PCB is considering reinstating Babar Azam as Pakistan’s red-ball skipper ahead of the second Test.
According to the report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the source close to PCB stated that Babar Azam could return as a Test captain if he plays well in the second Test and is willing to lead the red-ball side again.
“If Babar plays the second Test and regains his batting form, he is a strong contender to come back as captain. Initial exchanges with some board officials indicate he is also not averse to becoming captain again,” the PCB source told PTI.
Babar Azam was ruled out of the opening Test due to a knee injury and is expected to make a comeback for a crucial second Test at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The source also added that the PCB is aiming to bring back Babar as Test captain in order to prepare him to take over ODI captaincy ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
As a Test captain, Babar Azam led Pakistan from 2021 to 2023, winning 10, losing 6, and drawing 4 in 20 matches, with a win percentage of 50, making him Pakistan’s most successful red-ball captain in recent years.
