Mohammad Hafeez replaces Mickey Arthur as PCB’s director cricket. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the appointment of former cricketer Mohammad Hafeez as the “Director Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team,” a move that sees him taking over from Mickey Arthur.
This significant development unfolded shortly after Babar Azam decided to relinquish the captaincy across all formats, rejecting the PCB’s offer to continue leading the Test side.
The PCB, alongside the team management and the departing skipper, has faced substantial criticism due to the team’s lackluster performance in the Asia Cup and their premature exit from the ongoing World Cup 2023, falling short of securing a spot in the semi-finals.
According to the official statement from the PCB, “Former Test captain Mohammad Hafeez has been entrusted with the responsibility of Director – Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team.”
It was highlighted that Hafeez had recently been an integral part of the PCB Cricket Technical Committee.
Simultaneously, alterations have been made to the coaching staff portfolio, with the assurance that all coaches will maintain their roles within the National Cricket Academy.
The PCB has indicated that the announcement of the new coaching staff for the upcoming series in Australia and New Zealand is imminent.
Following Babar Azam’s decision to step down, Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been appointed as the Test and T20I captains, respectively.
Masood’s captaincy tenure will extend until the conclusion of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, with the commencement of a three-match “away” Test series against Australia scheduled for December 14.
Saheen, the newly appointed T20 captain, boasts prior leadership experience as the captain of the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), leading the team to victory in the 2022 and 2023 editions.
In response to Babar Azam’s departure from the captaincy, the PCB expressed respect for his decision, affirming continued support for him as a player.
As Mohammad Hafeez replaces Mickey Arthur as PCB’s director cricket, PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf commended Babar Azam as one of the finest batters produced by Pakistan and underscored the board’s commitment to supporting his growth as a player, unburdened by the additional responsibilities of captaincy.
