LAHORE: Pakistan selection committee member Aaqib Javed has defended the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to replace Shan Masood with Babar Azam as Test captain, saying recurring tactical shortcomings under Shan’s leadership prompted the change.

Speaking on a PCB podcast hosted by former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and released on Wednesday, Aaqib said a captain’s primary responsibility was to produce results and ensure the team’s progress.

“Shan got a good run of almost three years as Test captain, but the progress we expected did not come,” he said.

Aaqib pointed to Pakistan’s inability to dismiss opposition tailenders as one of the team’s persistent problems.

“There were too many lapses during the Bangladesh series, which we accepted considering our circumstances. We have now brought Babar Azam back because the same issues were being repeated,” he said.

“If you look at the performances of opposition tailenders in the Centurion Test, the series against Australia, the West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh, the pattern remained the same. The bowlers changed, the conditions changed, but the situation did not.”

He said captaincy was about making sound tactical decisions, including the use of bowlers, decisions at the toss and reviews.

“We know the quality of our bowlers, but a captain must know how to use them,” Aaqib said, adding that “many things were being noted that were not moving in a positive direction.”

While praising Shan’s batting, Aaqib said Babar’s return was based on the belief that he had grown as a leader.

“When you leave the captaincy, you reflect on your mistakes and try not to repeat them. If you get another opportunity, you are a more mature person,” he said, adding that the selectors expected Babar to lead the side for the next two to three years.

Explaining the latest squad selections, Aaqib said fast bowler Ubaid Shah had been picked for his pace.

“Most of our fast bowlers operate around 125kph. Ubaid brings genuine pace, which gives us a different option,” he said.

Left-arm spinner Ali Usman was preferred to Noman Ali because of his batting ability, with Aaqib saying he could contribute at No. 5 or No. 6 to provide greater balance.

Batter Awais Zafar, meanwhile, was selected ahead of Kamran Ghulam on the strength of his domestic form over the last two seasons.

Looking ahead to the 2027 ICC World Cup, Aaqib said he planned to organise a four-team one-day tournament to help identify Pakistan’s strongest ODI pool. The PCB has not staged a regional one-day competition during the last two domestic seasons. He also expressed confidence that the new central contracts, which require players to feature regularly in domestic cricket, would strengthen Pakistan cricket.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2026