In a surprising move, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed its current Test captain, Shan Masood, as the consultant for International cricket and the Player Affairs. It’s a role that could soon become the Director of International Cricket, which is a senior administrative role in the boards. The PCB is actively recruiting for the position of Director, as the applications are closing on November 02. 

The reports have claimed that Shan Masood could fill the role to replace the previous Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla, who was appointed in May two years ago. He was suspended from the role in September last year. However, since then, there has been no official confirmation from the board on his employment status.

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The official statement of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is uncertain, as it is unclear about Masood’s specific responsibilities and how long he would be in the job for, or how it could affect his status as the captain and player of the national Test side. The decision has come just a day after the end of the two-match Test series against South Africa, which they ended with a 1-1 margin.

Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood gets new role in senior administrative role

Masood has been tight-lipped on the news. He has had the reins of the red-ball team for the last two years now, a period in which his position as the captain came under considerable scrutiny. He has won only one Test series against England last winter, but before that, he became the first Pakistan captain to lose a Test series against Bangladesh.

Masood’s tenure consisted of ten defeats and four victories, which included a drawn series at home against the West Indies and a whitewash in Australia (3-0) and South Africa (2-0). Pakistan finished the last WTC cycle with the wooden spoon.

Masood’s appointment as a consultant is really surprising, even by the standards of the administration. Over time, it will raise eyebrows about his playing future regarding some decisions he will make in the future. Their next red-ball assignment will be the two-match series against Bangladesh and the West Indies next year, before a three-match trip to England in August 2026.