Pakistan Cricket Board has recently announced the appointment of Azhar Mahmoodas the interim coach of the Test side after the full-time role vacated by Jason Gillespie following his resignation in December last year.
Azhar Mahmood was already part of Pakistan’s coaching system as an assistant coach to Gary Kristen in limited overs and Jason Gillespie in red-ball cricket after signing a two-year contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board. Before Mahmood was given the role of ‘acting’ Pakistan red-ball team, Aquib Javed was the temporary coach and in charge of South Africa, where Pakistan were whitewashed in the two-match Test series.
As the red-ball coaching role fell vacant after Jason Gillespie, PCB decided to promote Azhar Mahmood from assistant to acting head coach, given his familiarity with the squad and international experience.
No end to Pakistan's coach musical chairThe appointment of Azhar Mahmood as the acting coach of the Pakistan Test team marks the eighth coaching change in just two years. Before Mahmood was promoted from assistant to acting head coach, to oversee the team’s red-ball assignments, PCB brought Mike Hesson into the coaching system as the head coach of the white-ball side in May this year.
Hesson came in as a replacement for Gary Kristen, who quit his role in October last year, just six months after his appointment. Over the last couple of years, Pakistan Cricket has been revolving coaches across formats, starting with Abdul Rehman’s appointment as an interim coach for all formats of the game in 2023. Thereafter, three coaches were rotated within six months, including Grant Bradburn, Mohammad Hafeez, and Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach).
Then, Garry Kristen and Jason Gillespie became the ecame the full-time head coaches for white-ball and red-ball formats respectively, to bring stability in the coaching setup. However, their tenures were short-lived. In May, Mike Hesson became the newest to join the musical chair of Pakistan’s coaching saga, taking over as white-ball head coach amid ongoing instability.
Before 2023, there were only changes in Pakistan’s coaching setup, with former cricketers Mishbah-ul-Haq and Saqlain Mushtaq serving in key roles for extended periods. Thereafter, Pakistan Cricket witnessed whirlwind appointments of coaches.
None of the coaches could match Mike Arthur, who served as Pakistan's head coach across all formats for a period of three years from 2016 to 2019, guiding the team to a memorable Champions Trophy triumph in 2017 and the No.1 T20I ranking in 2018. However, he was sacked from his role after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semifinals of the 2019 ODI World Cup.
PCB to blame themselves for coaching changesThe constant changes of the coach for all formats of the game over the last two years are not just because of the team’s poor on-field performances, but also the Pakistan Cricket Board’s lack of vision, stability, and strategic planning in team management.
Many coaches quit their duties because of a lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities, interference of the board in the selection matters, and inconsistent feedback from the officials of the board. Former white–ball coach Gary Kristen was forced to step down from his role due to disagreement with the board and the loss of authority.
The coaches have often lacked control over the team due to constant meddling by PCB officials, leadership changes, and an absence of long-term planning. Jason Gilliepsie, who resigned as red-ball coach in December last year, criticized the board for a lack of communication over the dismissal of high-performance coach Harry Neilsen and was ‘utterly blindsided’ not to have been consulted on key conditions. To make it worse, PCB did not pay for his service for four months.
In 2023, Mickey Arthur was demoted from Director of Cricket to a coaching position at the National Cricket Academy, along with head coach Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick, after Pakistan's dismal performance at the ODI World Cup in India. However, in January 2024, all three decided to part ways with the PCB altogether.
Pakistan Cricket Board has often found itself at the centre of criticism, not just by the fans and experts, but also by the coaches who worked with them due to their inconsistent decision-making, short-term appointments, and an administrative setup that fosters uncertainty rather than stability.
Players and coaches are often at loggerheadsOftentimes, players and coaches are at loggerheads in terms of team selection, training methods, and tactical approaches, with senior players in the team bypassing coaching inputs to align with PCB officials, further eroding the effectiveness of the coaching.
This was evident from the Pakistan Test series against Australia, where interim head coach Mohammad Hafeez made headlines for long and repetitive team meetings and warned players of $500 fine for those found sleeping on the ground or dressing room. A few players reportedly complained to the PCB about a lack of personal space.
It was reported that Mohammad Hafeez blamed the players for Pakistan’s series defeat against Australia and New Zealand. Hafeez was appointed as the Director of Cricket before he stepped in as the coach after Grant Bradburn’s resignation. Pakistan Cricket Board decided to renew Mohammad Hafeez’s contract as Director of Cricket.
The differences between the coaches and players have only deepened the divide within the dressing room, leading to a lack of cohesion, trust, and unity, further complicating any effort at rebuilding the team with unity and trust under the ever-changing leadership.
Favourtism in the players’ selection processOne of the recurring issues has been the favourtism of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors in the players’ selection process, where certain individuals are consistently picked despite poor form, while others performing well have been overlooked.
The selectors' favouring certain players has often undermined the importance of the coach, who is left powerless in enforcing merit-based decisions or implementing team-based strategy. Last year, Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were sacked from the selection committee due to alleged favourtism, which impacted Pakistan’s performance in the T20 World Cup last year.
The favourtism in the selection process has been a deeper issue over the last few years and has significantly eroded the team culture, leading to disappointment among deserving players, shattered dressing room morale, and a loss of credibility for both the selectors and the coaching staff.
Coaching instability affects the team’s performanceThe frequent changes of coaches over the last few years have had an impact on Pakistan’s performance, especially in overseas tours. Last year, Pakistan suffered an away Test series whitewash against Australia and then lost to Bangladesh in the home Test series. Then, the Men in Green made an early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024.
This year, Pakistan lost the away Test series to South Africa, but they found success in the ODI series against the Proteas in their backyard. Another big setback came when Pakistan were knocked out in the group stage of the Champions Trophy 2025, despite being hosts of the tournament, highlighting the impact of long-term coaching instability, internal rifts, and poor management on performance.
Apart from a change in coaches, the Pakistan Cricket Board has witnessed a big turnover in the selection committee. Since August 2021, 26 individuals have served as selectors, a staggering number that reflects PCB’s chronic indecision and lack of continuity in team building, further cementing the team’s inconsistent performances and fractured dressing room environment.
