Pakistan cricket in all formats has reached a state of dire decline. They had an early exit from the ODI World Cup last year and a few months back, they suffered a similar outcome in the T20 World Cup. With a humiliating 2-0 defeat against Bangladesh at home, the Men in Green’s hopes of making it to the finals of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) were also dashed.
The Bangla Tigers won their first-ever Test series win against Pakistan when they registered a six-wicket in the second match at Rawalpindi on Tuesday (September 3). Things didn’t go well for them after Shan Masood took over the captaincy from Babar Azam, who stepped down from the role last year.
Pakistan has not won a single match since Masood took over the leadership in the longest format of the game. They lost all five matches. Given the situation, it is highly likely that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will sack Masood from the role before the England series.
Here are three players who can replace Shan Masood as Pakistan Test captain
1. Shaheen Afridi
The chances of Shaheen Afridi becoming Pakistan’s Test captain are slim. The star pacer was handed the responsibility in the shorter format earlier this year but was snubbed from the role ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. However, looking at his portfolio, Shaheen has proved his mettle in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), leading Lahore Qalandars to two consecutive title wins.
2. Mohammad Rizwan
Keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is currently the best option available to Pakistan for Test captaincy. Although he has not been able to shine in this role previously, losing both Test matches, he has been impressive in the PSL. Notably, Rizwan is one of the most consistent and reliable batsmen in the Pakistan line-up. He slammed a brilliant 171 in the first innings of the first Test and followed it up with a half-century in the second innings against Bangladesh.
3. Saud Shakeel
Saud Shakeel is the vice-captain of the team and given the crisis, it would not be surprising if the management promoted him. Shakeel had a promising start to his Test career, scoring 1126 runs at an average of 56.3 in 12 matches. Notably, the southpaw scored 141 runs in the first innings of the series opener against Bangladesh. He is one of the formidable forces in Pakistan’s middle order and his confidence can double if the team believes in his leadership skills.
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