Zaka Ashraf: “We brought Shan Masood as the captain. He was a very good captain”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf believes Test skipper Shan Masood is a “very good captain” and stands by the decision to give him the role.
His comments come at a time when questions have been raised about Masood’s leadership, especially after Pakistan’s shocking 2-0 Test series loss to Bangladesh.
The 35-year-old lost his first six Test matches as captain and unsurprisingly, rumours skyrocketed about him potentially being replaced.
Despite this, Ashraf insisted he made the right choice in appointing Masood as Test skipper.
“We brought Shan Masood as the captain. He was a very good captain,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
In the Test series against Bangladesh, Masood accumulated 105 runs, which included a top score of 57, at an average of 26.25.
He then played for the Stallions in the Champions One-Day Cup, which was a domestic 50-over competition that took place in Faisalabad, and accumulated 102 runs in four matches at an average of 25.50.
Currently, Masood is leading the men in green in their three-match Test series against England and has made 176 runs in two games, which includes a top score of 151, at an average of 44.
The third Test began on October 24 in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Zahid Mahmood.