Azhar Mahmood appointed head coach of Pakistan's red-ball side: Details
What's the story
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood the head coach of its men's red-ball team. The decision comes after Aaqib Javed's short stint in the role, which began after Jason Gillespie resigned last year. Mahmood will continue in this position until his current contract expires, according to a PCB press release. Here are further details.
Coaching credentials
Mahmood's coaching experience
Mahmood brings plenty of coaching experience to the table, having served as Pakistan's bowling coach between 2016 and 2019. He also operated as the stand-in head coach during the T20I series against New Zealand in 2023. On the domestic front, Mahmood has been with Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as their bowling coach and even served as Islamabad United's head coach.
Coaching legacy
Willing to turn things around for Pakistan
The PCB highlighted Mahmood's red-ball pedigree, which is backed by two County Championship titles. "The PCB is confident that under Azhar's guidance, the red-ball squad will continue to grow in strength, discipline and performance on the global stage," read the PCB's statement. Notably, Mahmood played 21 Tests and 143 ODIs for Pakistan between 1996 and 2007. He has over 100 ODI wickets and three tons in Test cricket.
Upcoming challenge
Pakistan set to host South Africa
Mahmood's first task after taking charge will be a Test series versus South Africa at home in October. Notably, Pakistan finished last (9th) in the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle. They bagged a points percentage of 27.98 with five wins and nine losses. This includes six successive Test defeats between December 2023 and October 2024.