Shan Masood leaves captaincy future to PCB after 12 defeats in 16 Test matches

Sylhet, Bangladesh:

Pakistan suffered yet another humiliating defeat as Bangladesh beat them by 78 runs in Sylhet to seal the Test series. After the game, captain Shan Masood refused to speculate on his future as captain, leaving the matter to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Under his leadership, it was their seventh straight away defeat, equaling their poorest run overseas. The result also marked the fourth consecutive Test loss Pakistan have suffered against Bangladesh, something previously endured only by Zimbabwe.

Masood’s numbers as captain have also come under renewed scrutiny. Pakistan have lost 12 of the 16 Tests played under his leadership, leaving him with the second-highest tally of defeats for any Pakistan Test captain. Brendan Taylor and Shakib Al Hasan are the only two captains in Test history to have recorded more defeats in their opening 16 Tests as captain. Pakistan also finished last in the previous World Test Championship cycle and currently sit eighth in the ongoing standings.

"My intentions are clean. I took on this job to improve our Test cricket. There are things that need to be discussed with the board and the decision is always the board's. But my intentions have always been on how to improve this side because [I feel] you should always take on challenges and accept opportunities,” Masood said in the press conference. 

“It will always be my effort in any capacity - it doesn't have to be that I do it sitting in the captaincy chair, or the player chair, wherever. You don't know where life will take you, but I've always worn this shirt with pride and put everything aside for this. I think at this moment, instead of just talking about change, we need to think about how to improve Pakistan's Test cricket,” he added.

Masood calls for structural changes

Pakistan squandered promising positions during the Sylhet Test. Bangladesh had been reduced to 116 for 6 before Litton Das rebuilt the innings with a century. Similar collapses from winning positions had already hurt Pakistan during the team’s 2024 meetings. Masood also dismissed emotional reactions over selection and insisted deeper issues needed attention instead of sweeping changes.

"If we talk about the series, yes, it's never a good place to lose games. But again, in this series, I thought in both matches we've had significant chances to do well in the game,” he added. 

"[The] changes needed are structural. For those changes you address root causes and put aside emotions. We are hurt and always offer our sincerest apologies. We won't look at it emotionally though, just how we can improve it,” the Pakistan captain concluded. 

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