Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood was in an awkward position during a press conference on Monday and received a dressing down from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s media director. The event happened when Masood spoke to the media for the first time after being appointed captain of the Test series in England starting from October 7 in Multan.
The tension was created when the journalist, Javed Iqbal asked a question about the performance and captaincy of Masood. He asked, “Shan, you said that until the time they (PCB) are giving you a chance, you will continue. But doesn’t your conscience tell you that you are losing, not able to perform, and should quit and leave?” This question visibly unsettled Masood, who managed to maintain his composure with a smile but chose not to respond directly.
This question seemed to put Masood on the back foot, and although he smiled, he did not directly answer the question.
Sami ul Hasan, the PCB’s Director of Media and Communications, joined the conversation after the conference was over. He said that the captain should be respected and added, “Pakistan ka captain baitha hai, aap bilkul sawal karein.” But please show respect... It was not the right manner in which to ask the Pakistan captain the question that you posed.” These comments revealed other issues that were still a thorn in the side of the PCB especially on issues to do with media conduct as well as players.
This happened at a time when PCB and its selection committee have been under fire for continuing to give chances to players who have not delivered good results in recent matches. The national team has been struggling since their early elimination in the T20 World Cup earlier this year and lost a Test series 0-2 to Bangladesh at home.
As Pakistan gears up for its home series against England, all eyes will be on Masood to see how he leads his team through these challenging times. The cricket community is eager to witness whether this experience will motivate a turnaround in performance or further complicate his leadership role.
