Lahore: Pakistan test captain Shan Masood encountered an awkward moment during a recent press interaction when a journalist posed a controversial question.

In a video making rounds on social media, the reporter directly asked Masood whether he had thought about stepping down, given Pakistan’s ongoing difficulties in the test format. The journalist inquired, “You mentioned that you’ll keep playing as long as the PCB gives you opportunities. Don’t you have the dignity to step aside, considering the team’s poor performance and continuous losses?” The top order batter, visibly taken aback, exchanged a brief look with the Pakistan Cricket Board media manager before choosing to ignore the question and move on.

The awkward moment left a noticeable silence in the room, but the media session continued. As the press conference wrapped up, the PCB media manager addressed the incident, reminding reporters to maintain decorum when speaking with the national captain. “The captain of Pakistan is seated, feel free to ask your questions but please show respect and particularly I am referring to Javed. It was not the appropriate way of asking the Pakistan captain the question that you asked,” the media manager said. Shan Masood has been under pressure since taking over the captaincy from Babar Azam, with Pakistan losing all five Test matches during his tenure.

His first assignment as Pakistan’s captain came during the three-match Test series against Australia, where the team suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the 2023-24 season. His second challenge was the home Test series against Bangladesh, which Pakistan lost 2-0. It is worth noting that the upcoming test series against England is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, with the first Test scheduled to take place in Multan from October 7-11. This series holds significant importance as both teams aim to improve their standings in the WTC rankings. Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mehmood. England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.