PCB announces Shan Masood as Pakistan's new Test captain, Shaheen Afridi as new skipper in T20Is

In a recent development, Pakistan's star batter and current captain Babar Azam has announced his decision to step down from the captaincy from all the formats. Shortly after this big decision, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took to social media and declared that Shan Masood has been appointed as the Test captain, while Shaheen Afridi will lead the T20I side.

"Presenting our captains: Shan Masood has been appointed Test captain, while Shaheen Afridi will lead the T20I side," PCB released a statement on their 'X' handle.

Earlier, Babar Azam wrote a heartfelt note after stepping down as captain of the Pakistan national cricket team following their disappointing performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 in India. In his statement, he reflected on the day he was appointed as captain by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2019 and looked back on the events of the past four years, including Pakistan's rise to the top spot in the ODI format. He credited this achievement to the collective efforts of players, coaches, and management.

Despite initial victories against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, Pakistan struggled in the tournament, suffering four consecutive defeats. They managed to bounce back with two important wins but were ultimately eliminated after a loss to defending champions England in the final group-stage match.

PCB announces Pakistan Test skipper Mohammad Hafeez as Director of Pakistan Men's team

In other related new developments, the former Test captain of Pakistan, Mohammad Hafeez, has been appointed as the director of the National Team. Hafeez, who has represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20Is, brings a wealth of experience to the role. He was previously part of the PCB Cricket Technical Committee and was a member of the Pakistan Men’s team that won the ICC Champions Trophy in England in 2017.

The PCB has also made changes to the coaching staff, with all coaches continuing to work in the National Cricket Academy. The new coaching staff for the upcoming series in Australia and New Zealand will be announced in due course.