On November 17, during the Pakistan Cup 2023 semi-final between Karachi and Multan at Rawalpindi Stadium, Pakistan’s newly appointed Test captain, Shan Masood, sustained an injury. The incident occurred in a fielding mishap involving Shan and former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who were both representing Karachi. They collided near mid-off while attempting to catch a ball hit by batter Sohaib Maqsood, resulting in a painful crash that left Shan struggling to get up as Sarfaraz retrieved the ball. Consequently, Sarfaraz dropped the catch.
The game was briefly paused as Shan, appearing to be in discomfort with his ankle, had to leave the field with the help of the support staff. However, initial medical reports from the Karachi team indicated that Shan’s ankle injury was not severe.
Shan Masood’s role as the captain of Pakistan’s Test team was confirmed on November 15, following Babar Azam’s resignation from the position in the wake of Pakistan's subpar performance in the ODI World Cup 2023. Pakistan had a disappointing run in the tournament, losing five out of their nine league stage matches and failing to secure a spot in the semi-finals, despite starting the World Cup with two consecutive victories.
With Shan leading the Test side, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed the captain of the T20I team. The Pakistan Cricket Board did not announce a new ODI captain, as there are no ODI matches scheduled for Pakistan in the upcoming 12 months.
Shan, 34, has an extensive cricketing career, having played 30 Tests for Pakistan and scoring 1597 runs at an average of 28.51. He is now set to captain the team in their three-match Test series against Australia, commencing on December 14 in Perth. Pakistan currently holds the No. 1 position in the World Test Championship 2023-25 points table, boasting a 100% winning record. However, the upcoming series in Australia presents a formidable challenge for Shan Masood and his team as they aim to maintain their top standing in the championship.
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