PCB Backs Shan Masood, Eyes Sarfaraz For Test Coach Role

Pakistan’s red-ball structure is quietly taking shape again. The Pakistan Cricket Board appears ready to stick with Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood, resisting the urge to shuffle leadership after a long gap in Test cricket. Insiders suggest the board wants calm, not chaos, especially with a new World Test Championship cycle already ticking.

At the same time, there’s movement off the field. Sarfaraz Ahmed red-ball coach Pakistan discussions have gathered pace, with the former captain likely to step into the role soon. It would mark his first assignment as head coach in the longest format. A different challenge, no doubt.

Stability first as Pakistan rebuilds red-ball core

Masood’s position never really looked under threat. Even during the quiet months without Tests, his role stayed intact behind the scenes. The thinking is simple. You don’t reset everything at once.

Pakistan’s last red-ball outing ended in a drawn series against South Africa. Since then, silence. No whites, no long spells, no grind. That pause carries weight, and a sudden shake-up now could do more harm than good.

That’s where Sarfaraz comes in.

He has been working closely at the National Cricket Academy, monitoring players and staying involved in sessions. It hasn’t looked like routine work. Sarfaraz is putting in the effort, with a bigger role clearly on the horizon.

The Bangladesh series, expected to begin in May, now becomes more than just another bilateral contest. It’s a restart. A checkpoint. And maybe a test of whether this blend of leadership and fresh coaching direction clicks early.

Young names are also pushing through. Azan Awais, still only 21, has stacked runs in domestic cricket and is hard to ignore. When a batter keeps piling up scores season after season, doors start opening. That’s just how it works.

Experience still holds this setup together. Shan Masood stays at the front, Sarfaraz Ahmed steps in behind the scenes. Old heads, fresh energy, all moving in the same direction.

Pakistan’s Test future won’t be shaped in one match. But these early calls, the ones being locked in now, carry weight. Get them right, and the path ahead starts to look very different.