The landscape of international cricket is now experiencing a resurgence of activity following the culmination of the ODI World Cup, an event that witnessed Australia claim their sixth championship title. On the horizon of the cricketing world, Test matches have begun to stake their claim once more, with Bangladesh welcoming New Zealand for a two-Test series. Soon, Pakistan will also venture forth on their tour to Australia, where a challenging three-Test series awaits them.
In a pivotal move within Pakistan’s cricketing framework, Babar Azam has relinquished captaincy across all formats, paving the way for Shan Masood to take the reins in Test cricket. Stepping up to the crease as the new Test captain, Masood is set to lead his team in what promises to be an arduous campaign on Australian soil. As Masood assumes command, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has seen fit to promote him from category D to category B in the family of centrally contracted players. This promotion reflects the board’s own policy that dictates a player below category B be elevated to one of the two top categories upon their appointment as captain.
In an official release, the PCB articulated their decision, “The PCB has decided to upgrade Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood’s category in the central contract list from D to B. The decision has been made in line with board’s policy that if a centrally contracted player below A or B categories is appointed captain, their contract shall be upgraded to category B for the tenure of their captaincy.” Consequently, Shan Masood now occupies a B category position on the centrally contracted list, and will continue to do so throughout the tenure of his captaincy until the conclusion of the current World Test Championship cycle, which extends from 2023 to 2025.
Looking ahead to Pakistan’s impending tour to the land Down Under, their itinerary includes a preparatory face-off against the Prime Minister’s XI, set to commence on December 6 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. This serves as a precursor to the highly anticipated three-match Test series, kicking off on December 14 in Perth. Fans busy with holiday festivities will also be treated to the traditional Boxing Day and New Year Tests, hosted in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
Off the field, the cricket world continues to bustle with developments and speculation. England Test captain Ben Stokes undergoes rehabilitation following a successful surgery, and meanwhile questions arise about Sanju Samson potentially leading CSK in the future; responses bubbled up on social media after famed cricketer Ashwin weighed in on a user’s tweet that hypothesized the claim. Additionally, cricketing legend AB de Villiers has offered his perspective on GT’s recent captaincy decisions, suggesting that perhaps a more experienced player could have been considered for the leadership role.
As international cricket marches forward, eyes now turn to Shan Masood as he gears up to navigate the tumultuous waters of Australian pitches and prove his mettle both as a batsman and leader. With his newly minted B category contract, Masood steps onto the field not just to lead his team, but to etch his name in the annals of Pakistan cricket history.