Azhar Mahmood appointed acting head coach of Pakistan Test team

Azhar Mahmood has been appointed as the acting head coach of the Pakistan men's national Test team, as the churn continues in the management of the side. Azhar, who had been the all-format assistant coach since last April, is expected to serve in the position "until the conclusion of his current contract"; that, it is believed, is until March 2026, and it means that he will be Pakistan's Test coach in their next assignment, against South Africa at home in October.

Azhar becomes the seventh man since 2021 to be the head coach of a Pakistan Test side, although period in which the structure of the coaching set-up has also changed (as when Mohammad Hafeez was team director, or when Grant Bradburn was coach but Mickey Arthur the team director). Azhar is a familiar appointment and presence in this dizzying period. He was appointed the all-formats assistant coach in April last year. He had been an interim head coach for Pakistan's T20I series at home against New Zealand earlier that month.

But he was not part of the white-ball coaching set-up in Pakistan's series against Bangladesh recently, the first under the new white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, and is not expected to continue there. Instead, he will now concentrate on the Test format. He succeeds another interim coach, Aaqib Javed, who had taken over red-ball duties after Jason Gillespie left the position.

The 50-year-old former allrounder represented his country in 143 ODIs and 21 Tests over a 20-year period from 1996. He retired with 162 international wickets and three centuries but has since coached in different formats and competitions around the world.

"A seasoned cricketing mind, Azhar Mahmood steps into the role with an impressive portfolio of experience," the PCB said in a statement. "Having served as the assistant head coach of the national side, Azhar has long been a pivotal part of the team's strategic core. His deep knowledge of the game, combined with hands-on international exposure and proven success in the English county circuit, make him exceptionally well-suited for this position.

"His red-ball pedigree is underscored by two County Championship titles [with Surrey] - an achievement that speaks volumes about his leadership, tactical acumen and unwavering commitment to excellence. 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."

Pakistan have not had a full-time head coach for their Test team since Gillespie resigned six months into his stint in December 2024. Aaqib took over in an interim capacity for the two-Test tour to South Africa and the home two-Test series against West Indies in the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Aaqib had also filled in, again in an interim capacity, as the head coach of the white-ball team after Gary Kirsten quit in October 2024, less than six months into his contract. Hesson has since been appointed in that position.

The interim nature of Azhar's appointment means Pakistan start another World Test Championship (WTC) cycle in a less than ideal situation. They finished last in the previous WTC cycle, with just five wins in 14 games. Their next assignment after the Sri Lanka series will be a three-Test tour of England, their only three-Test series in the current WTC, and a first Test tour of England since 2020.