Mumbai, Oct 24 (IANS) Shan Masood is going to step down as Pakistan Test captain, making known his desire a day after losing the second match against South Africa in Rawalpindi, and will soon join the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a consultant for international cricket.

The announcement was made by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi at a reception given to the Pakistan and South African teams at Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s house, said a report on Friday.

“We have appointed Masood as director of international cricket in PCB,” Naqvi announced, surprisingly a week before the deadline for applying for the post, the report in Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net) informed.

Since Masood only plays Tests, which are far and few in between, he will take up the consultant’s job but will also continue to play. This will be the first instance at the international level that a player will also serve on the Board, the report claimed. It is another matter that his appointment is a violation of the PCB Constitution, which does not allow any player to take a post in the Board. A job, as per the PCB Constitution, can only be taken after retirement.

The current director of international cricket, Usman Wahla, was suspended during the Asia Cup after he delayed writing an email to protest match referee Andy Pycroft, conveying to Pakistan captain Salman Agha not to offer a handshake to his Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav.

The PCB later wrote an email to the International Cricket Council demanding Pycroft’s removal from the Asia Cup. The ICC rejected the demand and arranged a meeting between Pakistan team officials and Pycroft, who regretted the incident.

Pycroft, however, continued to officiate Pakistan’s matches. Wahla, who also has strong political connections with the ruling Pakistan Mulsim League (Nawaz), was later reinstated at his post.

But PCB advertised the post, making it mandatory for the applicant to have played Tests and ODIs for Pakistan. Masood has so far played 44 Tests, nine ODIs, and 19 T20Is. The local media has named former captain Misbah-ul-Haq as the favouroite for the post, who declined to apply for the job.

–IANS

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