Masood kept batting after Jayden Seales broke his index finger, then finished the innings on 109. That decision to carry on ultimately cost him the rest of this series entirely. The century itself was routine by his own standards, his seventh in Tests and his second in as many matches. What wasn’t routine was doing it with a fracture in his front hand, and Pakistan are now down their most experienced top-order batter for the match that decides the series outcome.
A Century That Cost Him the Next Test
Seales struck Masood on the left index finger during Pakistan’s first innings on day three at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. Masood carried on and reached three figures anyway, his first century outside Asia since 2022 and his second in as many matches.
A scan afterwards confirmed the fracture. The PCB ruled him out of the second Test, with the team medical panel now managing his recovery through the rest of the tour. Finishing an innings through pain isn’t unusual in cricket, but reaching what became the only individual hundred of the match adds real weight to the decision to bat on rather than retire hurt.
Shan Masood Century Fractured Finger Test
The two innings from that match tell the real story of what the injury cost him physically and tactically.
Innings | Runs | Injury Context | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
1st innings (Day 3, Tarouba) | 109 | Struck by Seales, left index finger fracture mid-innings | Completed century; Pakistan lost by 90 runs |
4th innings (Day 4, Tarouba) | 3 | Already injured, batted at No. 8 (usual: No. 3) | Dismissed caught at point off Seales; Pakistan 120 all out |
That drop from No. 3 to No. 8 says everything about how much pain he was managing by the fourth innings, and it barely slowed Seales down either time. A batter who anchors the top order doesn’t volunteer to bat five places lower unless there’s no other option. Pakistan chose to keep him in the XI rather than field ten fit batters.
The Seales Delivery That Changed Everything
Masood didn’t take the field when West Indies batted their second innings, sitting out entirely as the fracture was assessed. When Pakistan’s chase collapsed to 53 for 6, he still walked out at number eight rather than leave the team a batter short.
He lasted long enough to add three more runs before Seales found him again, this time caught at point. His 109 remained the only individual century of the match; Babar Azam’s unbeaten 58 in the fourth innings was the next-best Pakistani score by some distance. Seales dismissing him twice in the same Test, once en route to a hundred and once while clearly compromised, put the bowler’s fingerprints all over Pakistan’s defeat.
Pakistan’s Batting Order Without Masood
Losing a number three mid-series is bad enough. Losing him the same week Abdullah Fazal was ruled out for the rest of the tour and the England series with a back injury compounds it badly for a top order that was already thin.
Pakistan trail 1-0 heading into the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, needing a win just to level things. Their collapse to 71 for 9 in the first Test chase, rescued only by a last-wicket stand, shows exactly how little margin they have left without their senior batters fit. Replacing a fit, in-form number three mid-series is hard enough. Whoever the selectors pick for Port of Spain inherits that problem with almost no preparation time before the toss.
The Road to the England Series
The bigger question now stretches past this series. Pakistan’s three-Test tour of England begins August 19 at Leeds, and the PCB has said only that Masood’s availability depends on his recovery and clinical progress, nothing more definite than that.
He is expected to stay with the squad throughout, but a fractured index finger on the top hand is no minor knock for a batter who leans on it through every shot. Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel and uncapped Awais Zafar have all been called up as cover, with Shakeel recalled ahead of schedule specifically to provide the batting depth this Shan Masood fractured finger Test situation has taken away.
Does Pakistan’s batting line-up survive the Caribbean series without Masood, or does the number three problem follow them all the way to Leeds? Have your say below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How did Shan Masood injure his finger?
A Jayden Seales short ball struck his left index finger during the first innings at Tarouba. He completed his century anyway, and a scan later confirmed the fracture.
How many Test centuries does Shan Masood have?
Masood has scored seven Test centuries in his career so far. His 109 at Tarouba was his second hundred in three matches and his first outside Asia since 2022.
Is Shan Masood playing in the second Test against West Indies?
No, the PCB ruled him out after confirming the fractured finger. The second Test is being played at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.
Will Shan Masood be fit for the England tour?
It remains uncertain, with the PCB citing his recovery and clinical progress. He is considered doubtful for the first Test, which starts August 19 at Leeds.
Who replaces Shan Masood in Pakistan’s Test squad?
The PCB has called up Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel and uncapped batter Awais Zafar. Shakeel was recalled ahead of schedule to provide immediate cover in the middle order.