The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday appointed national Test team captain Shan Masood as Consultant for International Cricketer and Players Affairs, according to a statement reported by ARY News.
The announcement was made by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi during a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister’s Office in honor of the visiting South African cricket team, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that Shan Masood would assume his new role immediately, working closely with the PCB on matters concerning international players and their development.
Earlier, Shan Masood had voiced support for Pakistan’s strategy of preparing slow, spin-friendly pitches for home Test matches, despite the policy facing criticism following the team’s recent defeat to South Africa in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan have consistently produced dry and deteriorating tracks over the past year in series against England, West Indies, and South Africa, aiming to capitalize on their spin strength. While the approach has drawn scrutiny, Masood defended it, noting that Pakistan had won four out of six Tests under these conditions.
“Four out of six isn’t bad, considering we were in winning positions in the other two matches,” Masood said, emphasizing that the pitches had become “more playable” while still offering assistance to spinners.
He pointed to previous successes, such as Pakistan’s comeback series win against England last October and their drawn series with the West Indies in Multan earlier this year.
However, critics argue that the tactic limits the development of Pakistan’s fast bowlers, potentially weakening their performance in overseas conditions.
Reflecting on the loss to South Africa, Masood admitted that Pakistan missed key opportunities to secure victory. “We had a great chance to close it out with a lead of 98, but the last two wickets cost us dearly,” he said.
He added that the team must improve in several areas — lower-order batting, finishing innings, and building larger first-innings totals — to perform consistently across all conditions.
