3 biggest challenges for Pakistan captain Shan Masood ahead of Test series in Australia

Shan Masood-led Pakistan will take on Australia in a three-match Test series, which starts at the Perth Stadium on Thursday, December 14. This will be followed by two more matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26-30) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (January 3-7).

Pakistan have named their playing XI for the Perth Test, which will be Masood's first assignment as Test skipper. Two debutants are confirmed for the visitors - all-rounder Aamir Jamal and right-arm pacer Khurram Shahzad. Masood is slated to bat at the critical No. 3 position followed by former skipper Babar Azam.

All-rounder Faheem Ashraf is set for his red-ball comeback, having last played a Test against England in Karachi in December 2022. Sarfaraz Ahmed also retains the wicketkeeper slot ahead of Mohammed Rizwan, while left-armer Shaheen Afridi will lead the bowling attack.

As Pakistan prepare to take on Australia in the three-match Test series, we outline the three major challenges for new skipper Masood.

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#1 Masood must prove his credentials as a batter

As harsh as it may sound, the biggest challenge for Masood will be to prove, first and foremost, that he deserves his place as a batter in the playing XI.

Yes, the left-handed batter did get an impressive double ton in the warm-up game against the Prime Minister’s XI, which will have given him some much-needed confidence ahead of the Tests. But facing Australia in a home Test match is a challenge of a completely different level.

If we look at Masood’s Test numbers thus far, it is anything but impressive. In 30 Tests, since making his debut in October 2013, he has managed only 1,597 runs at a poor average of 28.51 with four hundreds and seven fifties. As such, the 34-year-old has a lot to prove as a batter, let alone as captain.

Taking a glance at his Test stats in Australia, the Pakistan captain has scored 156 runs in four innings at an average of 39 with a best of 68. The problem with him has been the fact that he has not been able to convert starts on most occasions.

Since his last Test hundred against England in Manchester in August 2020, he has featured in nine more matches in the longest format, scoring 252 runs at an extremely poor average of 15.75 with a best of 51.

One can only say that Masood is extremely lucky to be part of Pakistan’s Test set-up despite producing such mediocre numbers in the format. It’s up to the cricketer now to repay the trust placed in him by the management and the selectors.

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#2 To instill belief in the Pakistan team that they can compete

As Pakistan captain, it will be a humungous challenge for Masood. The visitors have played 37 Tests in Australia, winning only four of them. The more worrying stat is the fact that they haven’t won a Test in Australia since November-December 1995, when they triumphed in the Sydney Test by 74 runs.

Since their last Test win in Australia, Pakistan have played 14 Test matches and, shockingly, have tasted defeats in all of them. During their previous visit in 2019, they were hammered 2-0 in a two-match series.

Masood has made some positive statements in the pre-series press conference. But instilling confidence in the team that they can compete against Australia Down Under is something that won’t be easy at all for the captain, who himself will be trying to find his feet as leader.

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#3 To get the best out of former captain Babar Azam

It might sound bizarre that an established player like Babar might also need some backing. But the fact remains that the former skipper will find himself in an unusual place when he steps out for the Perth Test.

Over the last few years, he has been leading the side across formats. Suddenly, he will have to switch to a new role - that of senior batter minus the responsibility of captaincy.

There is no doubt about the fact that Babar is the most accomplished batter in the Pakistan Test squad. But one never really knows how the recent failures and the entire World Cup backlash might have impacted him.

It is extremely crucial from Pakistan’s point of view that Masood goes out of his way to ensure that Babar feels comfortable in the new arrangement.

Only if he is in the right mindset can Babar deliver his best. The onus will be on Masood to make sure that the former Pakistan captain is reassured about his status and significance to the team despite no longer being the leader.