Azhar Mahmood appointed as acting head coach of Pakistan’s Test team.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has finally addressed the team’s need for a red-ball head coach and has appointed former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood as the acting head coach of Pakistan’s Test team, marking another step in the reshaping of the national side’s coaching structure.
Azhar Mahmood, who has been involved with the PCB in different coaching capacities in recent years, will hold the red-ball coaching role until the conclusion of his current contract with the board.
The announcement comes as Pakistan continues its search for long-term appointments to lead the men’s teams in all formats.
The former international was favoured for the role given his familiarity with Pakistan’s coaching setup.
He also served as an assistant to the last permanent red-ball coach, Jason Gillespie, whom he now succeeds.
A seasoned figure in Pakistani cricket, Azhar Mahmood played 21 Tests and 143 ODIs during an international career that spanned nearly a decade before transitioning into coaching assignments, including stints with the national side as bowling coach and involvement in franchise cricket across the globe.
His elevation to the red-ball role comes at a time when Pakistan is hoping to build consistency in Test cricket.
The team faces a rebuild after finishing last in the previous World Test Championship cycle.
Azhar’s experience both on and off the field is seen as a stabilising force during this interim period.
Azhar Mahmood’s first assignment as the new red-ball head coach of Pakistan will be against South Africa at home in October, giving him plenty of time to shape the team in his vision.
With Mike Hesson taking the reins of limited-overs cricket and Azhar Mahmood now at the helm of the Test side, a new era of Pakistan cricket is set to begin—one the PCB hopes will bring stability after a period of unnecessary turbulence.
