Salman Ali Agha in discussion to replace Shan Masood as Pakistan’s Test captain

Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly decided to axe Shan Masood as the side’s Test captain. While the discussions are yet to be held on the decision along with the name to replace him, some sources suggest Pakistan’s T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, is among the prominent names to lead the side. 

Pakistan’s next Test assignment is against the West Indies cricket team in July, and a new captain could be named before that series.

Pakistan under Shan

The decision to remove Shan comes after Pakistan’s back-to-back 2-0 defeats against Bangladesh, both home and away. Masood was named the side’s captain in November 2023 after Babar Azam stepped down from all-format captaincy.

Since taking over, Pakistan have won only four out of 16 Tests. That record places him among the least successful Test captains in Pakistan’s history in terms of win-loss ratio.

He also holds the joint fourth-worst record among Test captains who have led their sides in more than five matches. Additionally, he has not won a single away Test during his captaincy stint.

Shan’s Test future

Shan is only a part of Pakistan’s Test cricket setup for now. He has had a decent stint in the Pakistan Super League this year, but that would not make up for much with his international struggles dogging him. With his captaincy gone, the left-handed batter might also not be able to keep his spot in the team.

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