The Pakistan Cricket Board has officially made some changes to the Test team’s coaching staff as former Pakistan captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as the new head coach. Pakistan have an important upcoming red ball tour against Bangladesh and the new staff will surely be tested. The Pakistan Tour of Bangladesh series will commence on May 7th at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS), Dhaka.

The appointment of the new coaches was due to a period of transition after the resignation of Jason Gillespie in late 2024, during which Aaqib Javed and Azhar Mahmood served in interim or acting roles.

 

New-look coaching staff faces immediate challenge as Pakistan aim to revive red-ball fortunes in WTC cycle

The new management consists of former international teammates who have significant experience in Pakistan’s domestic and international matches. Sarfaraz Ahmed was the captain of the Pakistan side that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, with a victory against India in the finals. Asad Shafiq is a former Pakistan player who played as a fine top order batter for Pakistan between 2010 and 2020. He was also a part of the Men’s Selection Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Umar Gul was a notable player in the Pakistan bowling setup between 2003 and 2013. He is the current bowling consultant of the Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League and interim bowling coach of the Pakistan national cricket team.

While the coaching staff has changed, Shan Masood remains as the Test captain for the tour. They will have a 2-match test series against Bangladesh and the Pakistan Cricket Board has named a 16-member squad that includes veterans and some fresh talent. Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais and Muhammad Ghazi Gori. The Pakistan national cricket team will be desperate to get some positive results under their stride as they will have to regain form. As Salman Ali Agha had recently stated, they themselves haven’t been performing well enough to attract crowds, it clearly shows that they are aware of their poor run of form. To win on Bangladesh home soil won’t be an easy task and the Shan Masood-led side will have to be on top of their game.

These matches will be crucial in the grand scheme of things as Pakistan currently stand at 5th place and they will be striving to climb the points table. With a victory against Bangladesh, the Pakistan side could potentially get a move on and place themselves in a better position at the end of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.