Pakistan stooped to an embarrassing low on Wednesday after Bangladesh defeated them for the fourth straight time to secure a second consecutive Test whitewash over them. Mohammad Rizwan‘s valiant fight fell short 11 overs into the final day in Sylhet in the second Test as Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 78 runs to complete a 2-0 series sweep.
This was the second time Bangladesh achieved this feat, having scripted a similar in 2024 in Pakistan. And the loss further heightened criticism of Shan Masood and his captaincy. In the 16 Tests he has led Pakistan since his appointment in 2023, the team lost 12 times. Masood, hence, holds the unwanted record for the second-most number of losses as a Pakistan Test skipper, standing only behind Misbah-ul-Haq, whose 19 losses came in 56 matches.
According to a Geo News report, Masood is likely to step down as Pakistan Test captain after the whitewash. This emerged after his post-match press conference, where he left the decision on his future in the hands of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“I don’t want to criticise or praise anyone. Why we are not doing well in Test cricket… I will sit down with the board and discuss this. As far as the captaincy is concerned it is for the board to decide,” he said.
“I have a clear intention. If I also took up a role in Test cricket, it was to improve Test cricket. There are certain matters that need to be discussed and debated with the board, and the final decision always rests with the board. My intention and purpose have always been to find ways to improve this team. You must always accept challenges and also embrace opportunities.”
Masood even apologised to the fans after the defeat, saying he didn’t think much about individual performances unless the team won.
“I can understand the emotions of the people with the result and I can only offer my sincere apologies for the loss but we can’t look at things emotionally and we have to find a way to do well in test matches,” he added.
The 36-year-old, who has been Test captain since December 2023, said he would like to appreciate the people who had prepared the pitches for the two Tests in Bangladesh.
“The pitches were very good Test tracks. They were good for batting and had something in them for the spinners and also pace and movement. They were very good Test pitches,” he said.
