Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has ended Azhar Mahmood’s stint as the men’s Test head coach, releasing him around three months before the expiry of his contract, which was due to run until March 2026.
The early exit has been positioned as a calendar-driven reset, with Pakistan not scheduled to play another Test until March 2026 and the board keen to put a longer-term red-ball plan in place.
The move, as reported by PTI, brings a stop to an acting arrangement that began in late June 2025, when Mahmood was asked to oversee the red-ball set-up until the conclusion of his then-existing deal. With the next Test assignment also starting around the time his contract was due to end, PCB sources indicated the board preferred to move early, begin identifying a replacement and shape a staff group for the remainder of the World Test Championship cycle.
What it means for Pakistan’s red-ball set-up
Azhar Mahmood, a former Pakistan all-rounder who has previously served in various coaching roles, had a short tenure in charge of the Test side, spanning a single home Test series against South Africa that ended 1-1. PCB officials have, however, suggested the decision is not being framed as a performance-based sacking as much as a timing call driven by the gap in the calendar and the need for clarity well ahead of the next red-ball tour.
PCB has started the process of appointing a new Test head coach and is also expected to review the wider support staff in the coming weeks. The board’s red-ball set-up has been in a state of flux over the past year, with interim or split responsibilities featuring prominently as Pakistan navigated transitions in the coaching group and selection operations. The latest move is meant to give the incoming coach a clear runway, rather than stepping in at the last moment before an overseas series.
Pakistan’s next Test commitments begin with an away tour of Bangladesh in March 2026. The schedule that follows includes away series in the West Indies in July 2026 and England in August-September 2026, before home assignments against Sri Lanka in November-December 2026 and New Zealand in March 2027.
For PCB, the immediate priority is to ensure the new coach has sufficient time to plan squad development, workload management and leadership continuity ahead of the Bangladesh tour. With the WTC cycle tightening margins for teams that lose momentum between series, the board appears determined to avoid another short-term patch and instead lock in a red-ball structure early.