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Seasoned batter and Test captain Shan Masood is set to lead Pakistan in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reaffirmed its confidence in the current Test captain after Masood met with chairman Mohsin Naqvi, along with Pakistan's red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood.
According to ESPNcricinfo, a PCB statement said Masood and Mahmood have been given a "free hand" on the Test side, without explicitly explaining what the remark means. As of now, Masood and Mahmood do not feature in the selection committee for the Test side, which comprises a five-member panel including Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, and Azhar Ali. The 35-year-old's future as the Test captain was up for debate after Pakistan finished at the bottom of the 2023-25 WTC cycle. He served as the Pakistan skipper for the entirety of that cycle. Last month, the PCB announced player contracts for the 2025-26 season, and Masood was demoted from the 'B' category to 'D', the lowest of central contracts. During that phase, the position of Test coach went through several changes, with Jason Gillespie ending his brief stint on a bitter note. With PCB declaring Masood as the face to lead Pakistan in the current WTC cycle, the opportunity comes with a possibility of a fresh rate. Massod is the longest-serving current captain for Pakistan, with the ODI and T20I leadership duties constantly shifting to different players, since he assumed the role in the red-ball format. In 42 Tests, Masood has garnered 2380 runs at an average of 30.12, including six centuries and 11 fifties. Since his captaincy reign began in November 2023, consistency has eluded him. Despite his scratchy run, he has made valuable top-order contributions, with two centuries, one at home against England and the other in South Africa. Apart from the scratchy form with the bat, Pakistan has struggled to script victories under his watch, losing nine out of 12 fixtures. (ANI)
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