Once a star player of Preity Zinta's Punjab Kings, he becomes new Pakistan head coach of Test team, his name is…
Pakistan Cricket Board are finally appointed new head coach for their red-ball team. While former New Zealand and RCB head coach Mike Hesson is currently the white-ball coach of the Pakistan team for ODIs and T20 matches, former Pakistani and Punjab Kings all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has been given the charge of the Test team.
The PCB on Monday announced that Mahmood will take over from Jason Gilliespie officially till the end of his current contract – which is there until April 2026. Mahmood had signed a two-year contract with the PCB in April 2024, back then as an assistant coach for all three formats to the game. He was supposed to assists Gillespie (Tests) and former South Africa and Team India head coach Gary Kirsten (white ball). However, both Gillespie and Kirsten ended their contracts prematurely.
'The Pakistan Cricket Board today announces Azhar Mahmood as the acting red-ball head coach of the Pakistan men's team. Azhar will serve in this role until the conclusion of his current contract,' the PCB said in a statement.
🚨 AZHAR MAHMOOD HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS INTERIM RED-BALL HEAD COACH OF PAKISTAN
-He will continue to work on this position until the conclusion of his existing contract with the PCB. pic.twitter.com/KVjNvm8M1m
— junaiz (@dhillow_) June 30, 2025
'A seasoned cricketing mind, Azhar Mahmood steps into the role with an impressive portfolio of experience. 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,' the PCB added.
Mahmood turned out for Preity Zinta co-owned Punjab Kings in the IPL 2012 and 2013 season. He was also signed up by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2015 season but he only played in one match that year.
Former PBKS (Kings XI Punjab back then), Mahmood claimed 29 wickets in two season – 14 and 15 wickets – respectively in the 22 matches that he played. He also scored 388 runs in 23 IPL matches with two fifties and a best of 80.
The PCB highlighted Mahmood's achievements in winning County Championship titles for Surrey as their assistant coach. 'His red-ball pedigree is underscored by two County Championship titles — an achievement that speaks volumes about his leadership, tactical acumen and unwavering commitment to excellence,' the PCB statement read.
'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,' the statement added.
Mahmood, who is 50 years of age, played in 21 Tests and 143 ODIs for Pakistan between 1996 and 2007. He scored a century of Test debut against South Africa in Rawalpindi back in 1997. He claimed 123 wickets in ODIs while scoring 1521 runs and 39 wickets in Tests with 900 runs, including 3 centuries and 1 fifty.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Jemimah Rodrigues Held Onto By Brisbane Heat In WBBL Draft
Last Updated: Jemimah Rodrigues stays with Brisbane Heat for the Women's Big Bash League. Sydney Thunder picked Chamari Athapaththu, Shabnim Ismail, and Heather Knight. India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been retained by Brisbane Heat, with eight franchises selecting a total of 23 international players during the Women's Big Bash League draft on Thursday. Cricket Australia announced that middle-order batter Rodrigues, a 'fan favourite" in Brisbane, was retained by the Brisbane Heat franchise along with West Indies' Chinelle Henry and South Africa's Nadine de Klerk. A total of 15 Indian women players had registered for the WBBL draft ahead of its 10th season. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, former South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, and former England captain Heather Knight were picked up by Sydney Thunder. The Sydney Sixers signed England duo Sophia Dunkley and Mady Villiers, along with New Zealand star Amelia Kerr. Meanwhile, Adelaide Strikers selected English spinner Sophie Ecclestone, wicketkeeper-batter Tammy Beaumont, and South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt. Melbourne Stars picked up two more England players, wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones and Dani Gibson. They also showed interest in India's Rodrigues and signed South Africa's Marizanne Kapp. New Zealand veteran Sophie Devine, England's Paige Scholfield, and South African Chloe Tryon joined Perth Scorchers. England captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt, and Linsey Smith were selected by Hobart Hurricanes, while Melbourne Renegades drafted West Indies' Deandra Dottin and England's Alice Capsey. First Published: June 19, 2025, 14:37 IST
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
IPL 2026 Trade Window: Not Only CSK, These Teams Also Want RR Captain Sanju Samson
Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have shown interest in bringing India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson in their camp before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Over the past week, the chatter linking Sanju with Chennai Super Kings has been prominent on social media. Several CSK fan clubs have been discussing the prospects of having Rajasthan Royals' captain Sanju Samson in their franchise. According to a Cricbuzz report, the Chennai-based franchise is open to welcoming Samson in their fold during the IPL 2026 trade window. "We are definitely looking at Sanju. He is an Indian batter, who is a keeper and an opener. So if he is available, we will certainly have a look at the option of having him in our fold. Who we will trade him with we have not taken that call because the matter has not gone that far. But yes, in principle, we are interested," the CSK official, involved in the decision-making process, told Cricbuzz. However, CSK is not the only IPL franchise, who are interested in adding Sanju to their squad ahead of the IPL 2025 season. A couple of other teams have also approached the Royals for Samson. Notably, the IPL trading window is currently open and it remains to be seen if CSK will make a formal approach to the RR management. If CSK wants to bring in Samson, they would be required to trade their player in return. Notably, Samson was the No 1 retention of Rajasthan Royals at Rs 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Historically, there are not too many instances of CSK invoking a trade. They have only traded Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2021 season one-way all-cash deal.
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Shubman Gill backs two-spinner theory for 2nd Test: Unusual but it works
India's Test skipper Shubman Gill has hinted at a possible shift in strategy ahead of the second Test against England in Birmingham, supporting the idea of fielding two spinners — an uncommon move in English conditions, but one he believes could pay off given the unusually dry at the pre-match press conference, Gill pointed out that Edgbaston's typically seam-friendly reputation may not hold this time around due to the hot and dry weather sweeping across the England, generally teams don't play with two spinners, but the weather isn't typical and there is very less rain, a lot of heat," Gill said. "So playing an extra spinner won't be a bad option." India were in control for the majority of the first Test in Leeds but failed to close out the game, with Ben Duckett's counter-attacking 149 leading England to a five-wicket win on the final day. Reflecting on that match, Gill believes that including another spinner might have changed the outcome."Even in the previous game, I felt having another spinner could've made the difference since Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) was successful in asking questions to the batters and containing runs as well."Gill explained that on flat tracks where the ball stops swinging after the initial overs, spin can be crucial-not necessarily to take wickets but to control the game and create pressure leading into the second new batting-friendly conditions wherein the ball isn't swinging much after 30-40 overs, a spinner can stop the runflow if not pick wickets. That helps the pacers return fresh later on."However, he acknowledged that the decision isn't straightforward and comes with its own risks-particularly if India end up bowling on Day 1 when conditions could still favour seamers."These are difficult calls to take because, if we are going in with an extra spinner, we'd need to think about how to manage the second spinner on day one if we are bowling first."Gill stressed the importance of a well-rounded playing XI and indicated that India would look for a combination that ensures batting depth without compromising bowling versatility."Ideally we would want to have batting depth till seven or eight. It is also important to find the right combination for the particular ground and that particular match," he said."It is important to be consistent against England's batting lineup and bowl in one area-maybe try and make them play in front of the wicket as much as possible."- EndsTune InYou May Also Like
