11 coaches appointed in last five years and still searching for answers: Inside Pakistan cricket’s never-ending coaching cycle | Cricket news

Pakistani training carousel (agency photos)

Pakistani cricket has developed a familiar pattern over the past five years: a disappointing series or tournament followed by a managerial shake-up, and another training regime begins before the previous regime has had enough time to establish itself. The latest turmoil came in August 2026, when the Pakistan Cricket Board sacked the head Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed After the team lost the first two Tests of the series against England. White-ball coach Mike Hesson has been put in charge of the Test side as Pakistan made sweeping changes ahead of the third Test. Seven players were also sent home.This incident once again highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing problem with training stability. Since Misbah-ul-Haq stepped down in September 2021, the national team has gone through a series of permanent, temporary and split coaching arrangements.Rather than a direct line of succession, Pakistani training history in this period resembles a revolving door.

From Misbah to Saqlin: The First Setting

Misbah-ul-Haq was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019, beginning a period in which Pakistan operated under a comprehensive coaching structure. He and bowling coach Waqar Younis resigned in September 2021, despite having a year remaining on their contracts.PCB immediately turned into Saqlin misses and Abdul Razzaq are interim coaches for the upcoming New Zealand series.Saklin then became the permanent coach, overseeing Pakistan across formats until the end of the 2022-23 season. His tenure was followed by another period of transition in 2023, when PCB trialled a new structure featuring Grant Bradburn as head coach and Mickey Arthur as team manager.Bradburn was officially 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 included Arthur as manager, Bradburn as head coach and a wider support staff.

2023-24: Another major cabinet reshuffle

After the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan moved away from the Arthur-Bradburn setup and brought in Mohammad Hafeez to the role of team manager for the Test tour of Australia and the subsequent period. Hafeez’s appointment by the PCB was part of a broader restructuring process, as Pakistan repeatedly changed not only coaches but also the titles and responsibilities associated with senior management positions.Then came the most ambitious training experience of that period.In April 2024, Pakistan appointed Jason Gillespie As a red ball coach and Gary Kirsten As white-ball head coach, both are on two-year contracts. Azhar Mahmood has been appointed assistant coach in all formats.The split is designed to provide specialized leadership for both versions of the game. Kirsten, who 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.But the arrangement only lasted months. Kirsten resigned in October 2024, and the PCB board handed Gillespie responsibility for the white-ball tour of Australia on an interim basis.In november, Aaqib Javed He was appointed interim white-ball coach until the 2025 Champions Trophy. Gillespie’s tenure then ended in December 2024, after which Aqib was also given temporary charge of the red-ball side.In fact, Pakistan moved from a specialist two-coach model to another temporary arrangement during the same calendar year.

2025: Hesson arrives, and Al-Azhar takes over red ball duties

Aqib’s interim white-ball spell lasted until 2025 before PCB appointed Mike Hesson as permanent white-ball head coach in May. Hesson took over from Aqib and began his tenure on 26 May 2025. The PCB highlighted his previous international experience with New Zealand and Kenya, as well as his work with the cricket franchise.In June 2025, Azhar Mahmood was appointed interim red-ball coach, taking over the position which had become vacant following previous coaching changes.Azhar then continued to oversee the Test side until 2025, including the home series against South Africa. The PCB identified him as the red-ball coach for that series. The split between Hesson’s white-ball role and Azhar’s red-ball responsibilities appears to offer Pakistan an opportunity to finally establish some continuity.But again, the test setting has been changed.

2026: Sarfaraz gets the Test job, then loses it midway through the series

Former Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has been appointed as the red-ball head coach ahead of the 2026 Bangladesh Test series. The appointment was notable because Sarfaraz went straight from his playing career to a coaching role within the national setup. He has previously worked with the Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 team, which has given him exposure to many players coming through the system.However, his term lasted only a few months.Pakistan’s disastrous start to the 2026 England Test series has brought another dramatic intervention. After defeats at Leeds and at Lord’s, the PCB sacked Sarfaraz and bowling coach Omar Gul, while also sending seven players home. Hesson, who was originally appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, is set to take charge of the Test team as well.