Three strong contenders who could take over from Shan Masood as Pakistan's Test captain

Shan Masood's tenure as Test captain has been marred by a challenging start. His first assignment was leading the national team in a three-match Test series against Australia from December 2023 to January 2024, where Pakistan faced a clean sweep defeat, losing all three matches.

This was followed by a two-match Test series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, where the team, despite being the hosts, suffered a 2-0 series defeat.

Pakistan fell short in the first Test, giving Bangladesh a 30-run target, and lost the second Test by six wickets while chasing 185 runs. These disappointing results have led to calls from cricket experts, legends, and fans for Shan Masood's removal as Test captain.

As calls for a change in leadership grow louder, here are three potential candidates who could replace Masood as Pakistan’s Test captain:

• Saud Shakeel

Saud Shakeel, the newly appointed Test vice-captain, could emerge as a strong candidate for the captaincy. The 28-year-old was given the role in anticipation of future leadership needs. Shakeel has made a significant impact in his Test career so far, amassing 1,126 runs at an impressive average of 56.30, including three centuries. 

His leadership experience at domestic levels, including leading Sindh to victory in the National T20 Cup, adds to his credentials. However, his international captaincy experience remains limited, and he may require more time to adapt to the nuances of leading at the highest level.

• Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan, with his extensive domestic captaincy experience, is another strong contender. Rizwan has led teams such as Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa across various formats and was briefly captain of Pakistan ‘A’ against New Zealand ‘A’. Despite being overlooked for the Test captaincy in favor of Babar Azam in 2019, Rizwan has proven his leadership skills by guiding Multan Sultans to their first PSL title. 

His recent performances, including a commanding 171 in the first Test against Bangladesh, demonstrate his batting prowess and leadership potential. Although his previous stint as Test captain resulted in losses, his consistent form and leadership in domestic and PSL cricket make him a viable option.

• Babar Azam

Babar Azam remains a prominent figure in Pakistani cricket with a solid track record as a Test captain. Under his leadership, Pakistan secured 10 wins out of 20 Test matches and started the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with a 2-0 win against Sri Lanka. However, Babar relinquished captaincy in all formats in 2023 at the request of the PCB. 

Despite his impressive record, there may be concerns about reassigning him captaincy due to potential impacts on his batting performance. The PCB would need to weigh the benefits of reinstating Babar against the potential disruption to his current form.