The choice was made in accordance with the board’s policy, which states that a centrally contracted player whose contract falls outside of the A or B categories will have their status upgraded to category B for the duration of their captaincy.

On November 15, 2023, Shan, 34, was appointed as Test captain, a position he will hold until the end of the 2023–25 cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.

The left-handed hitter, who has played in 30 Test matches and scored 1,597 runs, will captain Pakistan for the first time in the forthcoming three-match series against Australia, which starts on December 14.