Left-handed batsman Shan Masood has been named as Pakistan’s new Test captain following Babar Azam’s resignation from captaincy across all formats.
The 34-year-old Shan has played 30 Tests, scoring 1,597 runs, including four centuries and seven half-centuries.
See: Pakistan’s new captains for T20I and Test cricket
He’s set to lead the team until the end of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. Shan’s inaugural challenge as captain will be a three-match Test series against Australia in Australia, commencing on 14th December.
Expressing gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the opportunity, Shan emphasized the challenge of red-ball cricket and highlighted the collective responsibility to move the team forward.
“Our aim is to establish a brand of cricket that truly represents us,” Shan Masood stated.
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah has been appointed captain of Pakistan’s T20I format. His debut task as captain will be the five-match T20I series in New Zealand in January 2024.
Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy via social media after declining the PCB’s offer to retain Test captaincy.
Despite leading as white-ball captain since 2019 and as Test skipper since 2020, Pakistan hasn’t secured any ICC or Asia Cup titles under his leadership.
While entering the World Cup as the top-ranked team, Pakistan’s performance fell short, leading to an early exit from the tournament during the group stage.