Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) acting head Mr Najam Sethi has finally lifted the lid on why Shan Masood was named Pakistan’s vice-captain for the New Zealand series in January.
Shan was handed the role in place of Shadab Khan against the visiting Kiwis but the decision was criticized by current and former players alike.
Shan was not a first-team regular in ODI cricket at that time as he was seen as more suited to the longest format of the game.
Sethi, however, appeared content with his decision.
The decision to appoint the captain and his vice-captain is my discretion. I had some things going on in my mind, and I had also consulted some people in this regard. I thought of trying [Shan Masood] as a vice-captain to test his ability, Sethi was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
The vice-captain role did not last for Shan Masood as he sat out two of the three games with team management not including him in the playing XI while he scored a two-ball duck in his only outing in the series which Pakistan lost 2-1.
With Shadab now firmly back as Babar Azam’s deputy, it is unlikely that Shan will get this post again while the emergence of players like Haseebullah Khan and Saim Ayub means his time with the international squad may be approaching its twilight.
