Shan Masood to continue as Pakistan's red-ball captain for 2025-27 WTC cycle

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that Shan Masood will continue as the captain of the national Test team for the upcoming 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The board has shown faith in Masood despite Pakistan finishing bottom of the points table in the recently concluded 2023–25 cycle.

Masood’s captaincy had been under scrutiny after a difficult WTC campaign, where Pakistan managed only three wins and suffered nine defeats in 12 matches. Questions around his future increased when the PCB’s latest central contract list demoted him from Category B to Category D, the lowest tier. However, following a meeting with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and red-ball coach Azhar Mahmood, the board granted Masood and Mahmood a free hand to manage the Test team.

Notably, despite this assurance, neither the captain nor the coach is part of the selection committee. The responsibility of squad selection rests with a five-member panel comprising Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, and Azhar Ali.

Pakistan to face South Africa

Masood was appointed Test captain in late 2023, replacing Babar Azam. Since then, Pakistan has struggled in red-ball cricket. While Masood has shown moments of form with the bat, scoring notable centuries against England at home and South Africa away, the team's results have been disappointing. His personal batting average as captain has improved slightly, but Pakistan’s inability to close out matches has been a major concern.

The struggles have not been limited to leadership. The national setup has also seen instability in the coaching staff, with Jason Gillespie’s short stint as head coach. Now, with Azhar Mahmood confirmed in the role and Masood retaining the captaincy, the PCB is looking for stability heading into a fresh cycle. Meanwhile, Pakistan is scheduled to open its 2025–27 WTC campaign at home against defending champions South Africa in October.