Pakistan are set to face England in a three-match Test series. The series opener is scheduled to take place at Headingley in Leeds from August 19 to 23. Ahead of the series opener, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has made an bizarre request to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The former wicketkeeper-batter, who has now donned the hat of an expert has urged the board to keep current Test captain Babar Azam away from the English media during the tour.
Latif believes former Test captain Shan Masood should instead handle more of Pakistan’s media duties in England. According to him, touring England is a challenging assignment for any team, while the English media can often put visiting captains under unnecessary pressure by involving them in various
news stories.
“An England tour is a difficult assignment, and the English media often tries to unnecessarily involve visiting teams in news stories,” Rashid said on Geo News’ Score.
“Babar Azam is an experienced player, so it would be better for the PCB management to keep him away from the English media and send former captain Shan Masood to speak to them more often. Shan has played in England and has better experience of dealing with the English media,” he added.
Babar replaced Shan as Pakistan’s Test captain for the tours of the West Indies and England.
In his first series as Test captain, the right-handed batter from Lahore helped Pakistan end an eight-match losing streak away from home by securing a victory in Port of Spain.
Pakistan defeated England in last Test series
Pakistan last faced England in a Test series in 2024 and secured a 2-1 victory on home soil. Under Shan’s leadership, Pakistan suffered a defeat in the opening Test despite posting a huge first-innings total. However, they bounced back to win the next two matches, with spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan producing outstanding performances.
In the upcoming Test series against England, which is crucial for Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the 2027 World Test Championship (WTC) final, Shan is a doubtful starter for the first Test.
The former captain suffered an injury during the first Test against the West Indies last month and is yet to regain full fitness.
