Pakistan’s Coaching Carousel (Agency Images)
The latest upheaval came in August 2026, when the Pakistan Cricket Board removed Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed after the team lost the first two Tests of the series against England. Since Misbah-ul-Haq stepped down in September 2021, the national team has gone through a succession of permanent, interim and split-format coaching arrangements. Saqlain subsequently became the permanent head coach, overseeing Pakistan across formats until the end of 2022-23. His tenure was followed by another transition in 2023, when the PCB experimented with a new structure involving Grant Bradburn as head coach and Mickey Arthur as team director. Bradburn was formally appointed head coach in May 2023 on a two-year contract after working with the team during the New Zealand series. By the 2023 World Cup, the structure featured Arthur as director, Bradburn as head coach and a wider support staff. Following the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan moved away from the Arthur-Bradburn setup and brought Mohammad Hafeez into a team-director role for the Test tour of Australia and the subsequent period. Kirsten, who had previously coached India to the 2011 ODI World Cup, was expected to oversee Pakistan’s white-ball programme, while Gillespie was tasked with rebuilding the Test side. In November, Aqib Javed was appointed interim white-ball head coach until the 2025 Champions Trophy. Gillespie’s own tenure then came to an end in December 2024, after which Aqib was also given interim responsibility for the red-ball side. Azhar subsequently continued to oversee the Test side through 2025, including the home series against South Africa.
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson was handed charge of the Test side as Pakistan made sweeping changes ahead of the third Test. Seven players were also sent home. The episode has once again put the spotlight on Pakistan’s long-running problem with coaching stability. The PCB’s appointment of Hafeez was part of another broader restructuring, with Pakistan repeatedly changing not only coaches but also the titles and responsibilities attached to senior management positions. The split was designed to provide specialist leadership for the two versions of the game. The PCB identified him as red-ball head coach for that series. The split between Hesson’s white-ball role and Azhar’s red-ball responsibilities appeared to offer Pakistan a chance to finally establish some continuity.
Pakistan cricket has developed a familiar pattern over the past five years: a disappointing series or tournament is followed by a management reshuffle, and another coaching regime begins before the previous one has had enough time to establish itself.