Shaun Masood Bangladesh conceded that their Test captaincy future is now out of their hands after completing a historic 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan with a 78-run victory in Sylhet on Wednesday.The defeat pushed Pakistan to eighth in the standings of the nine-team World Test Championship and put intense scrutiny on Masood, who have now lost 12 of 16 Tests since he took over in December 2023.Facing questions about his leadership after yet another series defeat, the skipper said whether he remains captain or not is entirely up to the Pakistan Cricket Board. “I don’t want to criticize or praise anyone. Why are we not doing well in Test cricket? I will sit with the board and discuss it. As far as the captaincy is concerned, it is for the board to decide,” said Masood.‘I can only offer my sincere apologies’Masood also issued a direct apology to supporters, acknowledging the disappointment of another failed campaign but insisting that Pakistan must respond with clear thinking rather than emotion.“I can understand people’s feelings with the result and I can only offer my sincere apologies for the loss but we cannot look at things emotionally and we have to find a way to do well in the Test matches,” he said.The 36-year-old stressed that despite the scoreline, Pakistan had chances in both matches and needed to reflect on where they let them slip.“It’s never good to lose a game. We had important chances in both matches but we need to look at where we lost the game in batting, bowling and fielding if we want to progress as a side.”Masood also praised the surfaces prepared for the series and called them ideal Test wickets.“The pitches were very good Test tracks. They were good for batting and had something for the spinners and also pace and movement,” he added.Bangladesh made history once again.Bangladesh’s win marked their first home Test series win against Pakistan and their second consecutive clean sweep against their Asian rivals after a 2-0 victory in Pakistan in 2024.Spinner Tejul Islam bowled brilliantly with six wickets in the second innings and dismissed Pakistan for 328 runs while defending the target of 437. Mohammad Rizwan countered with 94 runs but Pakistan’s chase ended in the first session itself.Bangladesh captain Najamul Hussain Shanto said the team handled the pressure better than in previous matches.“Every player and support staff member contributed, and as captain I am very proud of the team’s work ethic.”
