Pakistan’s latest Test captaincy reset has come with a blunt message from the selection committee: Shan Masood may have survived as a batter, but his results as captain did not.
Babar Azam has been brought back as Pakistan’s Test captain for the tours of the West Indies and England, marking the beginning of his second stint in charge after the PCB moved away from Masood. The decision comes after a difficult leadership run for Masood, whose tenure began with a 3-0 defeat in Australia and never properly found stability despite one memorable home series win over England.
Masood has kept his place in Pakistan’s squad, but the armband has gone back to Babar, the man Pakistan had turned away from after the 2023 World Cup cycle. The reversal says plenty about the state of Pakistan’s red-ball cricket: after trying a new Test direction under Masood, the selectors have returned to a familiar figure with a stronger record and greater authority within the dressing room.
Aaqib Javed explains why Pakistan moved on from Shan Masood
Explaining the call, chief selector Aaqib Javed said the selectors wanted someone who could deliver better results as leader.
“We wanted to look for a captain who could lead the team in a much better way,” Javed told reporters in Lahore, as quoted by Associated Press. “Shan’s individual performance was good but as captain we weren’t getting the desired results.”
That distinction is important. Masood was not dropped because of his batting. In fact, during his time as captain, he had notable individual returns, including two centuries and several half-centuries. But Pakistan’s Test results under him were too uneven for the selectors to ignore.
His first assignment as captain ended in a 3-0 defeat in Australia. Pakistan then suffered a historic 2-0 home defeat to Bangladesh, the first time Bangladesh had beaten them in a Test series in Pakistan. The lowest phase was followed by a rare high when Pakistan fought back from 0-1 down to beat England 2-1 at home, but that did not become the start of a sustained revival.
Pakistan later lost 2-0 in South Africa and drew 1-1 at home against the West Indies. Across the cycle, the picture remained of a team that could produce short bursts of resistance but could not consistently close out big moments. Pakistan also finished at the bottom of the previous World Test Championship table, which only added weight to the argument for another leadership change.
Javed said captaincy had to be judged beyond personal runs and dressing-room intent. According to him, the role carried responsibility in the decisive parts of matches.
“The captain has a responsibility of finishing the games,” Javed said. “Some things are the responsibility of the team, some are the responsibility of the selectors, and some are the responsibility of the captain. The captain’s responsibility also includes maintaining the team’s over rate, taking DRS decisions and making the right call at the toss.”
Babar’s return, therefore, is not just about reputation. It is also about Pakistan going back to a captain who has already had a productive Test record. In his first spell, Babar led Pakistan in 20 Tests, winning 10. His captaincy began with a 2-0 home win over South Africa, and Pakistan also completed away clean sweeps against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka under him.
There were scars too. His first stint included the damaging 3-0 home defeat to England, one of Pakistan’s worst red-ball results in recent memory. But compared to the instability that followed, Babar’s record has again become attractive to the selectors.
Javed also indicated there was no major disagreement within the selection committee over the appointment.
“The selection committee sat down and held detailed discussions. They assessed which player could prove to be the best captain in Test cricket. There were many discussions, but the selection committee made only one recommendation, and that was Babar Azam. That’s it,” Aaqib said.
Babar’s second stint will begin with the two-Test series against the West Indies later this month, before Pakistan travel to England for a three-Test series. Masood remains in the squad, but Pakistan’s leadership wheel has turned back sharply. The selectors have not punished his batting; they have judged his captaincy. And in that judgement, results won decisively over sentiment.