'We saw several lapses': Aaqib Javed opens up on Shan Masood's removal

LAHORE: Pakistan's director of high performance Aaqib Javed has explained the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to remove Shan Masood as the national Test captain, saying the move was prompted by the team's lack of progress and recurring tactical shortcomings rather than the left-hander's individual batting performances.

Masood was replaced by Babar Azam after leading Pakistan's Test side for nearly three years. During his 16-match tenure, Pakistan recorded four victories and suffered 12 defeats, giving him a 25 per cent win rate.

Speaking on a recent podcast alongside former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, Aaqib said the PCB expects its captain to deliver results and drive the team's progress. 

He added that, despite the challenging circumstances, the team had failed to move in the desired direction under Masood's leadership.

"Ultimately a captain's job is to deliver results and ensure the team's progress. Shan Masood had one good run in almost three years but things were not moving in the right direction. We also saw several lapses during the Bangladesh series and we fully accept those despite the circumstances we were dealing with," Javed said.

The former Pakistan pacer further explained that the board's assessment focused heavily on tactical decision-making during matches, insisting that effective leadership was about maximising the available resources regardless of the team's limitations.

"Our bowlers may not be the very best but a captain's responsibility is to use them effectively. Decisions such as the toss DRS bowling changes and plans to dismiss the opposition's tailenders were not producing positive results and those were areas where we felt improvement was needed," he stated.

The 53-year-old also clarified that Masood's removal was not solely influenced by his performances with the bat, maintaining that the PCB's decision was based on the broader objective of improving the team's leadership and on-field management.

"Shan's batting performances were reasonable but appointing a new captain was about looking ahead. We wanted to make changes that we believed would help the team progress and address the issues that had continued to surface," Aaqib added.