This was on the cards. Shan Masood has a 0-6 record as Pakistan’s Test captain. A 0-3 defeat to Australia away from home, then a first-ever Test and series defeat to Bangladesh at home, followed by Multan humiliation at the hands of England. Pakistan have become the first team to score 550 runs in an innings and go on to lose the match. As it turns out, this is the last straw.
Shan Masood’s Pakistan captaincy career over?
According to Geo News, the national selection committee will take a call on Masood’s future as Pakistan’s captain, and a new replacement will be announced very soon. The change in leadership won’t happen during the Pakistan vs England Test series but prior to the South Africa tour, which starts on December 26.
Rizwan or Salman Ali Agha?
Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha are expected to take over the reins from Masood. Rizwan has been Pakistan’s best batter for some time now, and Agha hasn’t been far behind. What’s peculiar is that vice-captain Saud Shakeel’s name hasn’t come up. On a run-scoring spree, he was named deputy to Masood, but now that runs have dried up, he might not be considered for the role, and knowing how Pakistan cricket works, he might even be removed from the starting XI.
Changes for 2nd Multan Test
Following this humiliating an innings and 47 runs defeat, some changes will also be made to the lineup. The second Test kicks off on October 15 in Multan, and it’s expected that Abrar Ahmed won’t be unavailable. He was admitted to a hospital due to a high fever during the first Test and didn’t come out to bat on the fifth day. He’ll likely be replaced by Zahid Mahmood or Nouman Ali, while batters Kamran Ghulam and Imam-ul-Haq are also expected to be added to the squad, which comes out on October 12.
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