"He's going to be in this team as a leader" - Shan Masood opens up on chat with former skipper Babar Azam

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Shan Masood as their new Test captain after Babar Azam relinquished leadership across formats following the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Masood recently revealed details about his chat with Babar after taking over the captaincy reins in the red-ball format. The left-handed batter stated that the two spoke about creating a leadership culture within the team.

In a chat with Cricket Pakistan, Masood said:

"I had a conversation with him [Babar Azam] and it was about taking the team forward, how to take it forward, Babar's own role, and I think what you'll see in the future is that he's going to be in this team as a leader and the goal is to build a culture where there are many leaders, not just one captain doing everything."

Shan Masood's captaincy stint will commence with a challenging three-match away Test series against Australia. The opening encounter kicks off on December 14 in Perth.

---

"Completely out of the blue" - Shan Masood on being named Pakistan's Test captain

Speaking about his appointment as Test captain, Shan Masood stated that everything happened very quickly. He recalled that he received a phone call from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and was asked to reach Lahore on short notice.

Narrating the incident, Masood said:

"I was playing in the One-Day Cup when it happened, completely out of the blue. I was in Islamabad at the time, and I think I received a call from the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) that morning, saying that I should reach Lahore by noon. Chairman Zaka Ashraf wanted to meet me.

"It was a very short notice, but I went for a day and then returned to play in the semi-final of the National One-Day Cup. So, it was a very sudden story."

Shan Masood showcased impressive form in Pakistan's four-day warm-up match against Prime Minister's XI. The southpaw notched up a stunning double century in the first innings, remaining unbeaten on 201 off 298 balls.

Batting first, Pakistan declared their innings at 391/9 from 116.2 overs. In response, Prime Minister's XI are at 149/2 at stumps on Day 2.