No end to Pakistan’s musical chair; Azhar Mahmood appointed acting Test coach after Aqib’s woeful ouster

The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the appointment of Azhar Mahmood as the acting Test coach.

There is no end to the musical chairs within the support staff of the Pakistan men's cricket team. On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the appointment of Azhar Mahmood as the acting red-ball coach. The former Pakistan all-rounder takes over the new role following a long stint as the bowling and assistant coach of the men's side.

The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the appointment of Azhar Mahmood as the acting Test coach. (AFP)

Azhar Mahmood will stay in the role of acting Test coach until the conclusion of his current contract. The 50-year-old takes over from Aaqib Javed as the Test coach.

Aaqib Javed had taken over as the Pakistan Test coach on an interim basis after Jason Gillespie stepped down following disagreements with Javed and the PCB.

Azhar Mahmood is the seventh man since 2021 to be the head coach of Pakistan's Test team.

"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 said in an official release.

"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 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's first assignment as Test coach

Mahmood's first task as the Test coach will be to ready the side for their upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) assignment against South Africa.

The Proteas will tour Pakistan for a two-match Test series later this year. Pakistan has failed to make it to the final of the WTC three times in a row.

In the last WTC cycle, Pakistan finished at the bottom of the standings. The hosts defeated England at home, but they lost the series against Bangladesh.

Pakistan also faced defeat in the away series against South Africa.

Earlier, Gary Kirsten had also stepped down as Pakistan's white-ball coach. "It was a tumultuous few months. I realised quite quickly I wasn’t going to have much of an influence. Once I was taken off selection and asked to take a team and not be able to shape the team, it became very difficult as a coach then to have any sort of positive influence on the group," Kirsten told Wisden.