Shan Masood reveals chat with Babar Azam after taking over Test captaincy

The newly-appointed Test captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team, Shan Masood, has revealed insights into his conversation with the former captain, Babar Azam, regarding the team's future direction as they embark on the three-match Test series against Australia this month.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Masood disclosed details of his conversation with Babar, emphasizing the importance of fostering a leadership culture within the team. 

"I had a conversation with him [Babar Azam] and it was about taking the team forward, how to take it forward, Babar's own role, and I think what you'll see in the future is that he's going to be in this team as a leader and the goal is to build a culture where there are many leaders, not just one captain doing everything," Masood said.

The 34-year-old also opened up about his appointment as Test captain, revealing the surprising turn of events that led to him being named as the skipper.

"I was playing in the One-Day cup when it happened, completely out of the blue. I was in Islamabad at the time, and I think I received a call from the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) that morning, saying that I should reach Lahore by noon. Chairman Zaka Ashraf wanted to meet me. It was a very short notice, but I went for a day and then returned to play in the semi-final of the National One-Day cup. So, it was a very sudden story," he said.

On November 15, Babar stepped down from the captaincy in all formats after a meeting with Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee.

Following Babar's departure from leading the national team, the PCB then appointed Shan Masood as the Test captain for the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team. Concurrently, Shaheen Shah Afridi was announced as the T20I captain.