Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt has voiced his opinion on the future leadership of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, advocating for Shan Masood to take over as captain across all formats, replacing Babar Azam. Butt’s recommendation follows Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, where they failed to advance to the Super 8s.
Butt bypassed other notable candidates, including star pacer and former T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, and former T20I vice-captain Shadab Khan, placing his confidence in the 34-year-old Masood. Butt shared his views on his YouTube channel, expressing concerns about the current leadership’s attitude and lack of effective execution despite their evident skills.
“There is some fuss because of which, despite having skill, players haven’t been able to execute. There is someone who doesn’t have any strategy for planning, but still has a lot of attitude. To silence that attitude, I would definitely make Shan Masood the captain,” Butt said.
Shan Masood’s appointment as Pakistan’s Test captain came after Babar Azam decided to step down from the role following the team’s early exit in the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, Babar was reinstated as the white-ball skipper ahead of the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup, a decision that did not yield the desired results.
Currently leading Pakistan’s Test team, Shan Masood also captains Yorkshire in the County Championship and Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Babar Azam resigned from Pakistan’s captaincy in all formats following a disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup. Shaheen Afridi briefly took charge of the T20I team but was removed after a series loss in New Zealand.
Upon becoming the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi reinstated Babar as the white-ball captain. However, Pakistan’s early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup, with losses to the USA and India, has increased the pressure to replace him.
Naqvi plans to consult white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten and former players before making a final decision on the leadership. Other captaincy candidates, such as Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, remain in consideration. Babar’s performance in the T20 World Cup also drew criticism; he scored 122 runs in 4 matches at an average of 40.66 but with a strike rate of 101.66, which was deemed insufficient by experts.