Mohsin Naqvi's PCB Takes Extreme Step After Pakistan's Bangladesh Drubbing

Shan Masood and Mohsin Naqvi [Source: AFP]

In the latest developments, the Pakistan Cricket Board is seriously considering a Test skipper replacement of Shan Masood after the humiliating 2-0 defeat against Bangladesh.

Pakistan’s Test tour of Bangladesh ended in disappointment as the hosts prevailed as dominant winners on the Dhaka and Sylhet pitches. Despite Shan Masood's confidence ahead of the series to take on the opposition, his claims fell flat after a 78-run loss on May 20.

Pakistan is set to tour England in August 2026, and a potential replacement is expected to be announced by Pakistan's apex cricket body before then.

Shan Masood and Co. Fail to Impress In Bangladesh

The Pakistan squad stormed in with two young faces, Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal bolstered by other senior players. However, the highest run scorers of the lot were Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha, who scored 181 and 176 runs respectively in the series.

The first Test saw Bangladesh win by 104 runs, courtesy of Najmul Hossain Shanto’s batting brilliance and Nahid Rana and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s bowling spells that kept the Men in Green at bay.

The second Test also saw a poor batting effort from Masood and co., with questions raised over the skipper's tactical choices. All of these have now piled up to be an axe on Masood’s captaincy stint.

Shan Masood To Be Terminated As Pakistan Test Captain?

Masood has been Pakistan's Test skipper since November 2023 and has led the team in 16 matches, winning only four and losing 12.

This already raises a red flag about his spot as captain of the team, given the team's win percentage of only 25% under Masood.

Now, the latest GeoSuper report reads that the PCB has already decided to move on from the current Test skipper, and the successor will be announced ahead of the West Indies tour in July.

“Formal discussions over a potential successor are expected to take place ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming Test tour of the West Indies,” the report read.

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Masood Wants To Give Up Pakistan Test Captaincy Himself

Shan Masood himself has been very much aware of the series of poor performances his team has been giving lately. Adding to the self-criticism, Masood also surrendered his captaincy role to the PCB.

“I don’t want to criticise or praise anyone. Why we are not doing well in Test cricket… I will sit down with the board and discuss this. As far as the captaincy is concerned, it is for the Board to decide,” Masood said in the post-match press conference.

Looking forward to better gameplay in the future, Masood only hoped for the best to happen while apologising to Pakistan fans for the massive defeat.

“I can understand the emotions of the people with the result, and I can only offer my sincere apologies for the loss, but we can’t look at things emotionally, and we have to find a way to do well in Test matches,” he added.

Pakistan Need Quick Recovery

This poor series of performances from Pakistan will be under heavy scrutiny by the PCB as they move forward with the West Indies tour, a two-match Test series between July 15 and August 7.

A quick regrouping is necessary, as in the current World Test Championship cycle, the Men in Green sit in 8th position on the points table, having won only 1 of the 4 Tests they have played so far. They need consecutive wins if they want to keep up for the top two spots on the points table currently acquired by Australia and New Zealand.

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