Four wins in 16 Tests, poor review, toss decision: Pakistan selectors slam Shan Masood after dismissing him; Babar Azam back as captain

Aaqib Javed, Shan Masood, Babar Azam Babar Azam is back as Pakistan’s Test captain after the Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday stripped Shan Masood of the role following poor results.Masood took over from Babar at the end of 2023, but Pakistan won only four of their 16 Test matches under his leadership and lost 12.Explaining the decision, chief selector Aaqib Javed said the selectors wanted a captain who could deliver better results.“We wanted to look for a captain who could lead the team much better,” Javed told reporters in Lahore, as quoted by the AP news agency. “Shan’s individual performance was good, but as captain we didn’t get the results we wanted.”Javed said there was complete consensus within the selection committee regarding Babar’s appointment.“The selection committee sat down and had detailed discussions. They judged which player could emerge as the best captain in Test cricket. There was a lot of discussion but the selection committee made only one recommendation and that was Babar Azam. That’s it,” Aaqib said.Pakistan’s Test form plummeted during Masood’s tenure. His first stint ended in a 3-0 series defeat in Australia. Pakistan then lost 2-0 to Bangladesh for the first time in the home series. The only win in the series under Masood came against England at home, where Pakistan won 2–1. They also lost series against South Africa and the West Indies and finished bottom of the previous World Test Championship table.Javed said that the captain also has to be held accountable for the team’s performances.“The captain has the responsibility to finish the matches,” said Javed. “Some things are the responsibility of the team, some are the responsibility of the selectors and some are the responsibility of the captain. The captain’s responsibility also includes maintaining the team’s dominance, taking DRS decisions and making the right calls in the toss.”Despite the team’s struggles, Masood scored consistently with the bat. He hit two centuries and seven half-centuries during his captaincy, including back-to-back fifties in Melbourne against Australia.Babar’s first spell as Test captain produced 10 wins in 20 matches. His tenure began with a 2-0 home series win over South Africa, while Pakistan also completed clean runs away from home against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.As captain, Babar averaged more than 50 runs per innings in Test cricket. His only series defeat at home came against England, who beat Pakistan 3–0.Babar’s second stint as captain will begin later this month with a two-Test series against the West Indies.Masood retained his place in Pakistan’s 16-man squad for the series. Saud Shakeel will join the squad as the 17th man for the three-Test series in England after the West Indies tour, subject to fitness.There are also four uncapped players in the squad: left-handed batsman Ali Usman, right-handed batsman Awais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Ubaid Shah and batsman Ghazi Ghori.