Azhar Mahmood’s tenure as head coach of Pakistan’s Test side has come to an early conclusion, with both parties agreeing to end the stint ahead of schedule. Appointed as acting head coach in June, Azhar was originally contracted until March 2026, but the absence of Test cricket until Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh in March–April next year prompted a mutual decision to wrap things up now.
The move also brings down the curtain on a longer coaching association between Azhar and the national team. He had joined the Pakistan set-up in April 2024 as an all-formats assistant coach, supporting Gary Kirsten with the white-ball teams and Jason Gillespie with the red-ball side. Earlier that same month, he had briefly overseen a white-ball series in an interim role.
During his short spell as acting Test coach, Azhar was in charge for just one series, guiding Pakistan to a respectable 1–1 home draw against world Test champions South Africa.
“I was appointed by the PCB for a specific tenure, during which I carried out my responsibilities with professionalism and dedication,” Azhar told ESPNcricinfo. “My contract has now come to an end, and I extend my best wishes to the team for their continued success in their future endeavours.”
This was Azhar’s second stint with the Pakistan team. He had previously served as bowling coach between 2016 and 2019 during Mickey Arthur’s tenure.
Azhar is expected to remain active on the coaching circuit. He is currently the fast-bowling coach of ILT20 table-toppers Desert Vipers and has prior experience as head coach of Islamabad United in the PSL, as well as an assistant coaching role at Surrey.
His exit once again highlights the ongoing churn within Pakistan’s team management. While there is no immediate rush, the PCB will soon begin the process of appointing yet another Test head coach — the eighth since 2021 — amid a period that has also seen frequent changes in the structure of the coaching set-up itself.
