PCB announces new captains for T20I, Test

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced left-handed batter Shan Masood and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as captains for Test and Twenty20 international (T20I) format, respectively.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the PCB shared the new captains of the Pakistan cricket team for the Test and T20I format.

Presenting our captains, [Shan Masood] has been appointed Test captain while [Shaheen Shah Afridi] will lead the T20I side.

Presenting our captains 🇵🇰@shani_official has been appointed Test captain while @iShaheenAfridi will lead the T20I side. pic.twitter.com/wPSebUB60m

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 15, 2023

34-year-old Shan Masood has featured in 30 Tests, scoring 1,597 runs, which includes four centuries and seven half-centuries.

Shan has been appointed captain till the end of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. His first assignment as captain will be a three-match Test series against Australia in Australia starting from 14 December.

Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead Pakistan Men’s Team in the T20I format and his first assignment as captain will be the five-match T20I series in New Zealand from 12 to 21 January.

The 23-year-old pacer has bagged 64 wickets in 52 T20Is. He has also captained Lahore Qalandars in HBL PSL and has helped the side win the tournament twice in two years in the 2022 and 2023 editions.

Meanwhile, the PCB will appoint the ODI captain in due course. Notably, Pakistan’s next ODI fixture is scheduled in November 2024 when they tour Australia for a three-match each ODI and T20I series.

On the other hand, the PCB has appointed former Test captain Muhammad Hafeez as Team Director – replacing Mickey Arthur, who was named recently after Najam Sethi-led management came into power.

The development came after star batter Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan all-format captain following the team’s dismal performance in the ongoing World Cup 2023, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Babar Azam’s resignation came shortly after he met Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Azam’s captaincy and his future in the role came under question following the national team’s below-par performance in the World Cup 2023.

The team suffered five losses, the most in their World Cup history, including their first defeat against Afghanistan in ODIs also their first against South Africa in World Cups this century.

Under the batter’s leadership, Pakistan failed to qualify for the semifinals as they finished fifth in the standings with eight points.