Azhar Mahmood has been named the acting head coach of the Pakistan men’s national Test team as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) continues to shake up its management. Azhar, who has been the all-format assistant coach since April last year, is set to hold the position until the end of his current contract, which is expected to run until March 2026. This means he will be at the helm for Pakistan’s upcoming Test series against South Africa at home in October and Sri Lanka at home in December and January.
Since 2021, Azhar is the seventh man to take charge of the Test side, during a period when the coaching structure has seen frequent changes. At different times, Pakistan has experimented with roles such as team director and separate white-ball and red-ball coaching set-ups. Azhar is no stranger to this turbulent phase. He was appointed assistant coach for all formats in April last year and also served as interim head coach for the T20I series against New Zealand that month.
However, Azhar did not feature in the white-ball coaching staff for the recent Bangladesh series, which marked the start of Mike Hesson’s tenure as the new white-ball head coach. Azhar will now focus solely on red-ball cricket. He takes over from Aaqib Javed, who had stepped in as interim head coach following Jason Gillespie’s resignation.
The 50-year-old former allrounder enjoyed a two-decade-long playing career for Pakistan, appearing in 143 ODIs and 21 Tests from 1996. He retired with 162 international wickets and three centuries to his name and has since built a diverse coaching resume across different leagues and countries.
In a statement, the PCB described Azhar as a seasoned cricketing mind with an impressive portfolio of experience. The board highlighted his time as assistant coach, his deep understanding of the game, and his success in English county cricket, including two County Championship titles with Surrey, as proof of his leadership and tactical skills.
The PCB expressed confidence that under Azhar’s guidance, the Test squad will develop greater strength, discipline, and performance on the world stage. Pakistan have not had a permanent head coach for the Test team since Gillespie resigned six months into his stint in December 2024. Aaqib then stepped in for the tours to South Africa and West Indies.
Azhar’s interim appointment means Pakistan enter the new World Test Championship cycle still searching for long-term stability. They finished at the bottom in the previous cycle, winning just five out of 14 matches. After hosting South Africa and Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s next major Test challenge will be a three-match series in England, their first Test tour there since 2020 and their only three-Test series in the current WTC.
