'Shan Masood, Captain of India...': Former South Africa captain makes massive Blunder On-Air in PAK vs SA Test in Lahore

Former South African all-rounder and cricket commentator Shaun Pollock caused a humorous stir during the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on October 12, 2025.

In a slip of the tongue that quickly went viral on social media, Pollock mistakenly referred to Pakistan's captain Shan Masood as the "captain of India," sparking laughter and disbelief among cricket fans worldwide.

The incident happened during the live broadcast after the 39th over of Pakistan's first innings. Pollock was commenting on the passionate crowd who were holding a banner with 'King Babar' written on it, referring to Pakistan's star batsman Babar Azam.

Pollock expressed his surprise at the crowd's apparent eagerness to see Babar bat, even

if that meant the dismissal of Shan Masood, the actual captain of Pakistan.

However, in a comical error, Pollock ended up calling Masood the captain of India, saying, "There's the reason why they were upset. I can't believe they would want Shan Masood, the captain of India to be out in order just to get Babar to the crease. You need to have a word with some of these supporters. "

Shaun Pollock

"I can't believe that they (crowd) want the captain of Pakistan to get out just to see Babar Azam at the crease" 😭😭pic.twitter.com/qov8q8Fssq

- Hassan Abbasian (@HassanAbbasian) October 12, 2025

Despite the mix-up, Masood put up a strong performance, scoring 76 runs before being trapped in front of the stumps by South Africa's Prenelan Subrayen in the 48th over. His dismissal made way for Babar Azam, who received an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd, with chants of "Babar, Babar" echoing around the stadium. Fans were especially thrilled to see Babar back after his absence in the recent Asia Cup 2025.

Babar's innings had a shaky start as he survived a close caught-behind appeal against left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. The umpire initially ruled him out, but Babar opted for a review; the replays showed no edge, and the decision was overturned to widespread relief. However, Babar's luck did not last, as he was eventually dismissed for 23 runs off 48 balls, trapped lbw by Simon Harmer.

Pakistan ended Day 1 with a solid position at 313/5 after 90 overs. Notable contributions came from Imam ul Haq, who narrowly missed a century with his 93-run knock, and the unbeaten partnership of Mohammad Rizwan (62*) and Salman Agha (52*), who added 114 runs for the sixth wicket, setting up a promising platform for their team in the Test's opening day.