Shan Masood Confirmed as Pakistan’s Test Captain for 2025-27 WTC Cycle

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has thrown its weight behind Shan Masood, reaffirming him as Test captain for the upcoming 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle despite a turbulent run as skipper over the past two years.

The decision was announced after Shan Masood and Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood held a meeting with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi in Lahore. According to the board, both captain and coach will enjoy a “free hand” in running the Test setup, though they remain outside the formal selection committee.

Shan Masood took over the Test captaincy from Babar Azam in November 2023, but his position had been under intense scrutiny following Pakistan’s dismal 2023–25 WTC campaign, where they finished bottom of the standings and managed just three wins across the cycle. To make matters worse, the left-hander was demoted from Category B to the lowest tier, Category D, in the central contracts list last month, raising further doubts about his future.

Salman Ali Agha was linked with the role, but the appointment never materialized.

While Pakistan have struggled to deliver results under his leadership—losing nine of 12 Tests—, Shan Masood has found a measure of personal form at the top of the order. Having shifted from No. 3 to opener, he has scored two centuries across his last four Test series. His batting average has risen into the mid-30s during his captaincy stint, the highest it has been in his career.

Still, victories have been elusive. The challenge now is to translate sporadic batting form into team success.

Things aren’t going to get any easier for Shan Masood and his team as they open their WTC campaign against defending champions South Africa in October. It will be an early barometer of Pakistan’s ambitions in the fresh cycle, with home advantage expected to give Masood and Mahmood some breathing room to reset the team’s trajectory.

For now, the PCB has signaled trust in stability. Whether that faith pays off will depend on Masood’s ability to inspire wins in a format where Pakistan’s identity has too often been overshadowed by inconsistency.

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