‘They have to play him forcefully’: Aaqib Javed on Shan Masood

Former Pakistan cricketer, Aqib Javed, has criticized the inclusion of Shan Masood in the Pakistan cricket team and suggested that he is being played forcefully. 

Javed expressed his concern about the decision-makers who continue to include Masood in the team without any substantial reason. 

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"I wasn't happy at all when they made Shan Masood the vice captain for no reason, and now they keep including him in the team for no reason and even they have to play him forcefully. It's beyond comprehension who's making these decisions, but we have to see what comes out at the end result," he said. 

The 50-year-old opined that team management should not hesitate to experiment with other performers in the squad.

"I think if you look at Imam, he has always performed well in ODI cricket, so if they can give confidence to Babar or don't want to rest Rizwan, then other performers also have the right to be considered, and if your team is doing well then you should see how to protect it," he concluded.

It must be noted that Masood was named as deputy of Babar Azam for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that took place earlier in January 2023 in Karachi.

He was named the vice-captain after Shadab Khan got ruled out of the series due to a finger injury. The 24-year-old injured his index finger while representing Hobart Hurricanes in the season 12 of the Big Bash League (BBL).

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee, Najam Sethi, recently disclosed why Masood was appointed as the vice-captain for the aforementioned series. 

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Sethi revealed that he wanted to test Masood's abilities as the vice-captain and had consulted with some individuals about the decision.

"The decision to appoint the captain and his vice-captain is my discretion. I had some things going on in my mind, and I had also consulted some people in this regard. I thought of trying [Shan Masood] as a vice-captain to test his ability," he had said.