Is Mohammad Hafeez Unhappy At Shan Masood Becoming Pakistan Captain? Former Captain Reveals Staggering Details

Pakistan touring Australia for a three-match test series, starting on December 14. The Pakistan national cricket team will be led by Shan Masood, who took over the team after Babar Azam stepped down from the position after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 flop show. Shan Masood’s contract was upgraded by the board after he was announced as the Test skipper ahead of the Australia tour.

Pakistan’s new Director of Cricket Mohammad Hafeez backed Shan Masood to shine in the Australia series as the new skipper. The former Pakistan cricketer said that it was never a surprise that Masood was named the captain of the Test team as he had been doing well in the County Championship and is a senior player in the team.

“For me, seeing Shan become captain is no surprise,” Hafeez said. “He was always ready for this role, and when you get this sort of opportunity, it shines. He’s a superb player, and as a leader, he’s got a great rapport with the players and a great relationship with the whole team.”

“His experience as a captain and what he’s learned over the years – especially the couple of years he’s played county cricket – have all seen his management skills have come to the fore even more. What’s important is this is a confident unit that’s here and Shan is playing his role very well,” Hafeez concluded on the batter.

Shan Masood To Face A Tough Challenge In His First Series As Test Skipper

Pakistan Cricket team and management faced severe criticism after their flop show in India during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Several reforms were required to put the team back on track and as a result, Babar Azam was asked to step down as Pakistan’s skipper from all formats. Players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Babar Azam received blasting criticism from Pakistani media after their poor performance in the World Cup.

This paved the way for Shan Masood to take over the test captaincy of Pakistan. He scored a stunning double hundred in the first-class game against Prime Minister’s XI. Masood will play his first test as Pakistan’s test skipper against Australia in Perth.

Pakistan will face Australia in three tests, the first one starting on December 14, in Perth. The two teams will then move to Melbourne for the traditional ‘Boxing Day’ test and the third test will be played in Sydney after the New Year celebrations. Shan Masood will be aiming to acquire as many points as possible for the new WTC cycle as Pakistan hasn’t qualified for the finals of the WTC in the previous two editions.