Shan Masood’s tenure has seen two wins and eight losses so far. Missed opportunities defined his captaincy, as Pakistan repeatedly let games slip away
09 January, 2025
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PHOTO:AFP
Shan Masood's captaincy tenure promised to be one of the most memorable eras in Pakistan cricket. He took the reins after Babar Azam stepped down as captain of all formats. Masood’s first challenge was monumental: a Test series against Australia in Australia, a country where Pakistan hadn’t won a Test in over two decades and had yet to secure a series victory.
The series began with debutants Khurram Shahzad and Aamer Jamal, while Mir Hamza returned after five years. Shaheen Afridi was the only experienced bowler in the lineup. Pakistan started on a disappointing note, suffering a heavy defeat in the first Test in Perth by 360 runs. However, they showed glimpses of brilliance in the second Test, bowling Australia out for 318 in their first innings and scoring 264 in reply. An exceptional bowling display by Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza reduced Australia to 16/4 in their second innings. Unfortunately, dropped catches by Abdullah Shafique and others allowed Australia to recover and set a target of 317 runs. Despite needing only 98 runs with five wickets in hand, Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse, losing the match by 79 runs. The third Test saw Pakistan holding a 14-run lead after two innings, but another batting collapse from 58/2 to 115 all out handed Australia an 8-wicket victory and a 3-0 series win.
Despite the clean sweep, fans appreciated Pakistan’s fighting spirit. Under Babar Azam’s earlier captaincy, Pakistan had won two matches in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2023-2025 against Sri Lanka. However, they lost three matches to Australia. Next came a home series against Bangladesh, which Pakistan needed to win to secure a direct spot for the WTC final. However, Pakistan suffered a shocking 10-wicket defeat in the first Test due to poor batting on an excellent surface. The second Test saw Pakistan taking early control, reducing Bangladesh to 26/6 in their first innings. But a resilient Bangladesh fought back, securing a historic series win.
England then toured Pakistan for a three-match Test series. To qualify directly for the WTC final, Pakistan needed to win four of their upcoming Tests excluding West Indies, two against England and two against South Africa. England dominated the first Test, scoring a staggering 823 runs in their first innings and defeating Pakistan by an innings and 43 runs.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) then hit the panic button, bringing in Aqib Javed as part of the selection committee. Changes included dropping Babar Azam, resting pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, and recalling spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan.The turnaround began during the second and third Tests against England. Pakistan, aided by innovative dry pitches, secured a 2-1 series victory. Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were instrumental, taking 39 of England’s 40 wickets in the last two matches. This marked Pakistan’s first series win under Shan Masood and their only Test series victory of 2024.
The success against England provided hope, but Pakistan’s next challenge was South Africa, where they hadn’t won a Test in 17 years. Despite strong performances and reducing South Africa to 99/8 while chasing 148 in the first Test, Pakistan lost due to a lower-order partnership. The second Test ended in another defeat, this time by 10 wickets.
Shan Masood’s tenure has seen two wins and eight losses so far. Missed opportunities defined his captaincy, as Pakistan repeatedly let games slip away. Whether it was dropping crucial catches in Australia, failing to capitalize on strong positions in South Africa, or underperforming at home against Bangladesh, Pakistan couldn’t convert potential into victories.
Had Pakistan grabbed their chances, they might have reached the WTC final or achieved historic series wins in Australia and South Africa. Instead, right now Pakistan js on eighth in the current WTC standings and seventh in the ICC Test rankings, reflecting a disappointing cycle. The team’s last significant success in Test cricket came under Misbah-ul-Haq in 2016. Pakistan has yet to win a Test in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) since 2016, with their last away victory in Sri Lanka in 2023 and their most recent home win against England in October 2024.
As the next WTC cycle approaches just after the West Indies series, fans hope Pakistan will learn from this forgettable chapter and make a strong comeback in the next WTC cycle.
