PCB fires men’s Test coach (PHOTO: X)
Azhar Mahmood has been let go by PCB as head coach of the national Test team, even though his contract still had three months left. Meanwhile, the board is still without a head coach for the women’s team.
They chose not to renew Muhammad Wasim’s contract, which ends after the 2025 World Cup in September-October, so the search is still ongoing.
Mahmood, who once played as a Test all-rounder, had a deal running all the way to March 2026. But PTI reports he’s been granted an early release. Pakistan doesn’t actually play another Test until March 2026.
As one PCB source put it, “Since Azhar’s contract ends in March and Pakistan’s Test assignments begin from March 2026, it makes sense for the Board to start planning ahead for a new head coach.”
He’s held a bunch of roles with the national team over the years. Just last year, they made him Test head coach on a two-year contract. In his most recent series, Pakistan drew 1-1 with South Africa at home, which bumped them up to fifth in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings.
Now, the PCB is actively looking for a new Test head coach, and changes to the rest of the coaching staff might be coming too.
Pakistan’s next run of Test matches starts in March 2026 with a tour of Bangladesh, then trips to the West Indies in July and England in August-September. After that, they’ll host Sri Lanka and New Zealand in late 2026 and early 2027.
The Test team has bounced between interim coaches like Aaqib Javed and Mahmood ever since the PCB parted ways with Australian Jason Gillispie in early 2024 after disagreements over team selection.
Around the same period, South African Gary Kirsten stepped down from the white-ball team, but Mike Hesson took over and has done well, with a solid record leading up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
On a different note, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is working hard to boost the Pakistan Super League’s global profile. He personally reached out to England’s Joe Root, inviting him to play in the 2026 tournament.
Pakistani media says Naqvi is talking directly with Root, emphasising the PSL’s quality and the excitement of Pakistani fans for big-name international stars.
There’s a real sense of optimism that Root could sign on for PSL 2026 if talks keep moving in the right direction, though neither side has made anything official yet.
The reply of Iran highlights the very deep mistrust that exists between Tehran and Washington,…
The outcome was that India ended the series with a perfect score, a 5-0 win…
The heist's aftermath has generated wrath and discontent among the neighborhood and bank customers, most…
