Pakistan captain's stellar batting performance ends 22-year long wait amid Asia Cup 2025

Pakistan's Test team captain Shan Masood, in a single attempt, ends Leicestershire's 22-year-long wait to qualify for Division One of the County Championship. With a target to gain promotion, the county club signed the experienced Pakistani batter on an all-format contract.

In a do-or-die situation, Masood smashed a hundred and secured the club's promotion to a higher level of England's domestic cricket. Leicestershire signed in the 35-year-old in 2025 to replace Peter Handscomb. On his bus debut match for Leicestershire, the middle-order batter played a crucial knock. Masood came into the middle as their number 5 batsman and scored 111 runs off 176 balls with 13 boundaries against Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire declared their second innings for 175 for 3 and set a target of 316 runs for Leicestershire from 74 overs. Before the lunch they already were one man down for only 17.

Later, a heavy rain interruption settled the match for a draw, which proved enough for them to get the much-awaited promotion. They last featured in Division One in 2003 and have since been playing in Division Two, finishing last on eight occasions. Masood scored his century during the first innings of the match. His partnership with Lewis Hill (88) proved to be an important factor in reducing the gap between the two teams. In the process, the southpaw batter also completed his 12,000 first-class runs. 

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Pakistan Test team captain's achivements in County Cricket

In the 2023-24 season, Masood, as a captain, played successfully for Yorkshire, the most successful club in the County Championship, by claiming 1240 runs from 15 matches, averaging around 53. With the help from his contributions, the 32-time champions were able to gain promotion back to Division One in 2024. 

Masood played his last Test match for Pakistan earlier this year against the West Indies. On January 3, 2025, against South Africa in Cape Town, the left-handed batter played a 145-run innings.