Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood’s contract upgraded from D to B class

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood’s contract was on Thursday upgraded to ‘B’ class from earlier ‘D’ by the nation’s cricket board, hours after the group led by him left for Australia for a Test sequence.

The 34-year-old Masood was named Test captain on November 15 till the conclusion of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, after Babar Azam stepped down, following Pakistan’s 50-over World Cup debacle in India.

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“The PCB has decided to upgrade Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood’s category in the central contract list from D to B,” the PCB stated in a press release.

“The decision has been made in line with board’s policy that if a centrally contracted player below A or B categories is appointed captain, their contract shall be upgraded to category B for the tenure of their captaincy.”

The left-handed batter has featured in 30 Tests, amassing 1,597 runs.

The group left for Australia on Wednesday night time. The three-match Test sequence towards Australia begins on December 14 in Perth. The group will play a tour match towards Australian PM XI from December 6-9 in Canberra.