His father holds a high position in a bank, so he made it into the national team.

His uncle is a senior government official, so he made it into the national team.

He’s an English-speaking boy from a wealthy family, so he made it into the national team.

Ever since Shan Masood made his debut in the Abu Dhabi Test against South Africa in 2013, the label of “parchi” (favoritism) has been attached to him. Perhaps, (as joke), his father must have been friends with Steyn, Philander, Morkel, and Kallisthat’s why, while facing their bowling, Shan began his career with a 75-run innings.

In reality, we prefer stories where someone comes from poverty,where a father drove a rickshaw and the son worked hard to reach the national team. If someone is educated and from a wealthy background, fans are less willing to accept him. It is true that in Pakistan, players sometimes get opportunities through connections, but even if someone enters the team through influence, they cannot perform consistently. Within one or two matches, they are exposed and dropped. Yes, they maylater secure a job in the PCB.

Everyone acknowledges Shan’s strong work ethic and dedication. However, on social media and among general fans, the perception persists that he is a “recommended” player, which is why he often faces criticism. Due to being in and out of the team, he has played only 47 Tests in 13 years. An average of 31 and 2,762 runs do not truly reflect his ability.

When he became captain, he finally got a regular run in the team, but the team’s performance remained poor. As a result, he was removed from captaincy before the ongoing series against the West Indies, though he retained his place as a batter. In the very first Test after that, he scored a century, proving his capability.

Shan’s real issue is that he lacks friends in the media. He keeps to himself and focuses on his work. There’s no agent or PR company “saya” on him, nor are there former friend cricketers constantly praising him in influential circles. He also doesn’t spend money on social media promotion, which has left him behind. In Pakistan, talent alone is not enough these additional factors often determine success.

If we review Test cricket performances since 2024, only Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Ali Agha have scored over a thousand runs. Salman faces a similar issue lack of PR.

If we talk about the hardest-working Pakistani cricketer, YounisKhan stands out. Even after retirement, he is seen playing club matches. In the past, he would return from international tours and play club cricket the very next day. Nowadays, many cricketers feel it’s beneath their ego to play domestic cricket.

Shan’s working style somewhat resembles Younis Khan’s, as they were part of the same department, though their personalities are completely different. Unlike Younis, Shan is calm and soft-spoken. Sometimes, a person’s strengths become their weaknesses and that seems to be the case with Shan.

His fluency in English has also been mocked, with people claiming that’s the reason he’s in the team. Although he has never flaunted his wealth, teammates have often kept their distance. As captain, he did not succeed, and during that period, he did not receive strong support from his teammates. He tried to bond with them sharing dinners and socializing but still appeared isolated on the field. At times, he even had to run to teammates for advice on reviews.

The state of our Test team is evident we are ranked ninth (last) in the ICC Championship, just above West Indies, yet we dream of defeating Australia. While analyzing team failures, one must consider not only the captaincy but also the contributions of other players.

If Shan had to be removed as captain, it could have been done quietly. Instead, making him the root cause of all problems allowed selectors to escape accountability, which was not fair. Shan is not the kind of person to go to the media and complain, though he surely has much to say.

The good thing is that he did not let this decision affect his performance and responded with a century. Fans, too, should give him respect. A “recommended” player cannot score centuries in South Africa, England, and the West Indies this must be acknowledged.

Perhaps someone with influence can fast-track a relative into the national team, but the ability to play is still essential. Take Imam-ul-Haq he was talented, but his uncle Inzamam-ul-Haqbrought him into the team earlier than expected, as he was chief selector at the time.

In today’s era of social media, it is not easy to give chances to undeserving players. Within minutes, a player’s record is available for everyone to see, making it clear who is performing and who is there on recommendation.

We need to move beyond personal likes and dislikes and support our players, regardless of their background. Accepting the captaincy may not have been the right decision for Shan, as it ultimately harmed him people even claimed that the captaincy itself was given through favoritism.

Did his father call county teams or PSL franchise to make him captain there as well?

Let’s leave such arguments aside. If a player is performing, he deserves recognition. Shan, too, should forget about captaincy and focus on his batting. England is his favorite hunting ground if he piles up runs there, even his critics may be forced to change their opinions.