The shockwaves from Pakistan’s loss in the first Test to Bangladesh are evident as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly replacing Shan Masood as Test captain with Babar Azam. Notably, Pakistan suffered a humiliating 104-run loss to Bangladesh in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Shan Masood not only failed as the skipper but also couldn’t do much with the bat, scoring 9 and 2, respectively, in two innings.
Pakistan is still slated to play seven more Tests this year, and a campaign has started to reinstate Babar as Test captain for the remaining games of the World Test Championship cycle, according to a source close to the team.
While Babar missed the first Test match against Bangladesh owing to a knee injury, he is expected to return for the second match on May 18. Since Masood took over as Test captain in December 2023, Pakistan has lost 11 of their 15 games.
"Some influential figures in the Pakistan Cricket Board also want Babar back as captain and believe this is the right time to give him another run at captaincy," a source told PTI.
The report further stated that there was support from the team management to bring back Babar as Test captain. The current ODI captain, Shaheen Afridi, and T20I captain Salman Ali Agha are part of the Pakistan squad for the ongoing test series in Bangladesh.
"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 source said.
Not only is the idea to bring back Babar Azam as Test captain, but he is also likely to get back the Pakistan team ODI captaincy as well, giving him ample time to prepare for the 2027 World Cup.
Remarkably, Babar captained all three versions from 2019 to 2023 before being compelled to resign during the 2023 World Cup in India. After a dismal tournament, he resigned as T20 captain for the 2024 World Cup.
The source also stated that Shan Masood himself was deeply disappointed with his performance and is now seriously considering taking up a permanent role with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi offered him the position of director of international cricket and player affairs last year, but he chose to finish the current World Test Championship cycle instead.
(PTI inputs)
