Mark Coles resigns as Pakistan women's head coach

Four months after he was appointed head coach of the Pakistan women's side for the second time, Mark Coles has resigned with immediate effect citing personal reasons. Coles had earlier served as the head coach of the team from 2017 to 2019.

The resignation comes at a less-than-ideal team for the women's side, who take on South Africa in a high-profile series at home that begins on September 1 in Karachi. The sides play three T20Is and three ODIs, with all six games taking place in Karachi. The PCB said a new coach will be announced "in due course" though there is no guarantee a permanent replacement will be in place by the time that series begins.

Pakistan have a busy upcoming schedule, playing 15 ODIs and 17 T20Is in the upcoming year. Aside from South Africa, they host the West Indies at home, and travel to Bangladesh, New Zealand and England.

It is understood the resignation came as something of a surprise to the PCB, and Coles has not made any public comment on the matter. When he was announced as Pakistan's head coach alongside Nida Dar as the new captain, he said he was "excited to lead the team in the upcoming events".

"It has been a privilege to work with such a talented group of players and I look forward to the exciting times ahead as we aim to improve our previous performances and achievements," Coles had said at the time. "We have a lot of potential in the team, and I look forward to helping the players give their best and achieve success on the international stage."

In the end, he would oversee no games during this second stint. He did enjoy a relatively successful time on the pitch when he was first appointed in 2017. Pakistan won nearly half of their ODIs - 7 in 16 - including a famous come-from-behind series win against West Indies. They also won 15 of 32 T20Is before Coles quit because of "family commitments".

The PCB said in a statement that it would "like to extend its gratitude to Mark Coles for his brief stint with the women's side and wishes him well in his future endeavors."