Shan Masood will continue to lead Pakistan’s Test team for the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reaffirmed their faith in Masood’s leadership. This was decided after a meeting between Masood, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan’s Test coach Azhar Mahmood.
ESPNcricinfo reports that the PCB has given Masood and Mahmood a lot of authority over the Test team but the details weren’t shared. Masood and Mahmood are not part of the Test team’s selection committee which has five members: Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali.
There was talk whether 35-year-old Masood would continue as captain especially after Pakistan finished last in the 2023-25 WTC cycle where he was the captain for the entire period. Last month when the PCB announced player contracts for 2025-26 season, Masood’s contract was downgraded from category ‘B’ to ‘D’, the lowest category.
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The Test coach position has seen a lot of changes recently with Jason Gillespie’s tenure ending on a sour note. Now that the PCB has confirmed Masood as the captain for the current WTC cycle, he has a chance to start afresh.
Masood is Pakistan’s longest serving captain in any format of the game. Since he took over the Test captaincy, the ODI and T20I captaincy has changed hands multiple times. In his 42 Test matches, Masood has scored 2380 runs, averaging 30.12, with six centuries and 11 half-centuries.Since he took over as captain in November 2023, he hasn’t been consistent. He has made some good contributions with the bat, including centuries against England at home and in South Africa.
But besides his own form, Pakistan has struggled to win matches under him, losing 9 out of 12 games. He is at a crossroads of his captaincy where he needs to address both his personal form and team performance to secure his long term position and bring success to Pakistan’s Test team. The upcoming WTC cycle will be the test of Masood and Mahmood’s combined vision.
They need to turn the team’s fortunes around, make the most of every player’s skills and bring calculated tactics into play. While Masood’s batting skills and leadership qualities are evident, uniting the team and converting potential into tangible wins is still a work in progress. The expectations from fans and critics are high and the pressure to deliver will certainly test Masood’s resolve and skills as captain.
