Rizwan and Shan Masood’s Captaincy Roles in Jeopardy as PCB Considers Leadership Overhaul
Salman Ali Agha, currently Pakistan’s T20I captain, is reportedly the frontrunner to lead the national side across all formats, following a string of strong impressions on selectors and newly appointed white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, sources close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have revealed.
Initially named T20I captain for the Zimbabwe leg of the tour to rest regular skipper Mohammad Rizwan, the 31-year-old has since earned praise for his composed leadership and clear vision during his brief tenure in charge.
“Salman has impressed the selection committee, coach Hesson, and, most importantly, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. They’re all in agreement that he should lead the team in all formats,” a source disclosed.
An official announcement is expected after the Eid holidays.
This anticipated move suggests that Rizwan, the current ODI captain, has fallen out of favor with both the PCB and a selection panel heavily influenced by Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed. Rizwan’s strained relationship with Aaqib, particularly during the recent New Zealand tour—where Pakistan suffered a 3-0 ODI series defeat—has reportedly contributed to the shift.
Adding to the tension, Rizwan publicly expressed frustration over being excluded from selection decisions during the New Zealand tour, a move that drew internal criticism. That series loss followed Pakistan’s group-stage elimination from the 2025 Champions Trophy, hosted on home soil.
Test captain Shan Masood also appears set to lose his leadership role amid a dismal run, with Pakistan losing nine out of 12 Tests under his command since December 2023. The low point came with a historic 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh—Pakistan’s first ever against the lower-ranked side. A 1-1 series draw with the West Indies further compounded the team’s woes.
These results have left Pakistan at the bottom of the current World Test Championship (WTC) standings, ranked ninth among nine teams, a significant decline from their fifth and seventh-place finishes in the last two WTC cycles.
“Masood’s leadership lacked impact and conviction, and coupled with his underwhelming personal performance, it’s clear his time as captain is over,” the source added, confirming that Salman is likely to replace him in the Test format as well.
Pakistan’s upcoming schedule includes a three-match T20I series in Bangladesh on July 20, 22, and 24, followed by ODI and T20I series against the West Indies in August. The Test side will next face South Africa at home in October, followed by WTC fixtures against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh, West Indies, and England between 2025 and 2027.
Aaqib Javed Shares Vision as PCB High Performance Director
Meanwhile, Aaqib Javed, the PCB’s Director of High Performance, outlined his roadmap for Pakistan cricket in the 63rd episode of the PCB Podcast, hosted by former Test pacer Wahab Riaz.
Speaking about the role of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, Aaqib emphasized the need for a well-defined purpose, noting that the NCA must address technical and performance gaps across all formats of the national team.
He also detailed new plans for age-group and women’s cricket development through specialized high-performance centers:
- The Karachi High Performance Centre will now focus on women’s cricket, offering facilities for fitness, diet, and skill enhancement.
- The Multan HPC will train a group of 30 U19 players with a dedicated development program.
- The Faisalabad centre will cater to U17 players.
- The Sialkot HPC will work on grooming 30 U15 cricketers.
These targeted initiatives reflect the PCB’s renewed commitment to long-term player development and performance excellence across all levels of the game.
