Shan denies stepping down as captain

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test cricket captain Shan Masood has firmly denied rumours of stepping down from his role.

Talking about the social media speculations and claims of conflicts with Shaheen Afridi and Jason Gillespie, he said there was no truth to the allegations. About the video showing Shaheen removing Shan’s hand from his shoulder, he explained that he had placed his hand on Shaheen’s shoulder, which was sore from a previous injury and that Shaheen removed it due to discomfort. There were no issues between them, the skipper said.

Shan also addressed claims of a dispute with head coach Gillespie, explaining that it was a matter of the quality of the ball used in the match. He said that the ball provided was significantly softer than the one previously used. He said that the team avoided social media distractions during matches to maintain focus.