PCB seventh head coach in two years, as it posted an advertisement for the position of director of high performance on its website this week. PCB already tested the 6 coaches without any positive results in international contests during the last 2 years. The last interim head coach, Aaqib Javed, who failed after performing double duties as coach and selector during the past 6 months, left the job this year after the ICC Champions Trophy in February –March 2025.
Over the past couple of years, Pakistan has experienced a rapid decline in top-level international events, including the Asia Cup 2023, ODI World Cup 2023, T20 World Cup 2024, and Champions Trophy 2025.
During the last two years, PCB has been led by Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf and currently Mohsin Naqvi. All these appointed personnel as coach, slector and captain who shared their views, with these abrupt changes, caused damage to the Pakistan Cricket Board above everything.
As there are constant changes in coaching positions, here’s the list of all coaches who served in different positions within the past two years
- Abdul Rehman as Interim Head Coach
- Mohammad Hafeez as Director National Team
- Azhar Mahmood as Interim Head Coach
- Jason Gillespie as Test Head Coach
- Gray Kirsten as ODI Head Coach
- Aaqib javed as Head Coach of Both White and Red Ball Cricket
Now PCB is looking for its seventh coach in two years. However, the board may face difficulties finding a competent coach due to past complicated relationships with foreign coaches such as Geoff Lawson from 2007-08 and Mickey Arthur from 2016-19, both of whom were fired under controversial circumstances.
Since 2023, PCB also made several changes in the captaincy of the national team. Sethi initially retained Babar Azam as captain. Zaka replaced Babar after poor performance at the 50-over ICC World Cup. Then Shaheen Afridi was appointed as white ball captain and Shan Masood was appointed test captain.
Since February 2024, the Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB regime has made significant changes. Shaheen was removed as captain and Babar was brought back as white-ball captain in the first half of 2024 but after poor performance in the T20 World Cup, Babar stepped down. Mohammad Rizwan then became the next white ball captain. Shan, however, retained his test captaincy despite his performance.
Riwaz was replaced as T20 captain with Salman Ali Agha earlier this year after poor performance in the Champions Trophy. Numerous changes were made to the national selection committee. many of the selectors responsible for the team’s below-par performances were given new roles instead of being held accountable.
Mohsin has been conducting several experiments to improve the team’s performances but without success. In 2023, Wahab Riaz was appointed as chief selector by Zaka. Mohsin then added him to the seven-member selection committee and even made him senior team manager. However, Wahab was removed from both positions but remained on the team as director of mentors. Famous stars of Pakistani cricket such as Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, saqlain and Shoaib Malik are now working under Wahab.
Former batting maestro Mohammad Yousuf has held many different roles without achieving success. In March 2024, he added to the seven-member committee while serving as head coach of the national U-19 team. Within the next month, Yousuf was given the third role of batting coach but he stepped down as selector in September 2024 but remained as head coach of the U-19 team.
On October 11, Azhar Ali, Aaqib and Aleem Dar were included as new selectors, but later, Azhar was removed to be the head of youth development. Aaqib also gets appointed as the white ball team’s interim head coach on 18 November, replacing Kristen. Later on December 12, he was appointed as test team coach, replacing Gillespie but failed to improve team performance in any format. Now, sources indicate that Azhar is interested in the position of director of high performance, which fell vacant after the resignation of Nadeem Khan on 31 March 2025.
