Shan Masood has been named captain of the Pakistan cricket team in red ball and will lead the team in the three-match test tour to Australia in December, sources in the PCB said.

The decision came on Wednesday after Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy in all formats of the game.

“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call,” he wrote in a post on X.

His decision came shortly after meeting PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where he submitted a report on the team’s dismal performance in the World Cup.

The former skipper said that he will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats and to support the new captain and the team with his experience and dedication.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility,” he added.

“I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019. Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in the cricket world,” Azam said.

Earlier, sources said that Azam will lead Pakistan’s Test team in the upcoming Australia tour.

After the Green Shirts’ disappointing performance in World Cup, Azam was facing critcism for his leadership role.

In this regard, several ex-cricketers including Younis Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Tanvir suggested to keep Azam captain only in the Test cricket to reduce burden on the Pakistani skipper.

Amid his resignation from captaincy, reports said that Shaheen Shah Afridi was poised to take over the captaincy from Azam in the T20s, while Shan Masood emerged as a strong contender for leadership in Pakistan’s ODI and Test squads during the upcoming Australia tour.