The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially appointed Azhar Mahmood as the acting red-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team. Azhar Mahmood will serve in this role until April 2026, aligning with the end of his current contract.
Azhar Mahmood takes over the position from Aaqib Javed, who had replaced Jason Gillespie. Gillespie stepped down from the role in late 2024 following communication issues with the PCB. Mahmood’s appointment is seen as part of the PCB’s strategy to stabilise the national team’s red-ball structure.
Before this, Azhar Mahmood served as Pakistan’s assistant head coach and bowling coach. His long-standing association with the national team’s coaching setup includes significant experience at both international and domestic levels, including County Championship success in England.
One of Mahmood’s first major assignments will be to prepare the team for the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Pakistan will begin the WTC campaign with a two-match home Test series against South Africa later this year. This will be followed by an away Test tour of Bangladesh in early 2026.
The PCB expressed confidence in Azhar Mahmood, highlighting his deep knowledge of the game and leadership abilities. The board expects Mahmood to focus on improving Pakistan’s red-ball cricket performance, especially after the team’s disappointing result in the previous WTC cycle where Pakistan finished at the bottom.
 officially appointed Azhar Mahmood as the acting red-ball head coach of the Pakistan men's national cricket team. Azhar Mahmood will serve in this role until April 2026, aligning with the end of his current contract.){kind=link}