KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided against making sweeping changes to the national team setup following Pakistan’s elimination from the Super Eights stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The board will maintain the current leadership structure, choosing not to alter the captaincy or coaching staff across formats.
In contrast to previous instances where poor results led to major shake-ups, the PCB has opted to back its existing management and players, emphasising stability moving forward.
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson will continue in his role as per his contract. He will work alongside T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and ODI skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, both of whom will retain their leadership responsibilities.
The board has instructed Hesson and Afridi to begin preparations with a focus on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
There will, however, be a change in the Test team’s coaching staff after former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood stepped down from the position of head coach.
Sarfaraz Ahmed
Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as his successor and is expected to take charge once he returns from Abu Dhabi.
Director of the High-Performance Centre Aaqib Javed and the national selection committee will also remain in their current roles.
The PCB has accepted the resignation of selector Aleem Dar, with plans to appoint a replacement to the selection panel.
Pakistan began their T20 World Cup campaign with a narrow three-wicket victory over the Netherlands. However, they suffered a 61-run defeat against India in their next match.
The team bounced back with a dominant 102-run win over Namibia to close the group stage.
In the Super Eights, Pakistan’s match against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain, followed by a loss to England. They ended their campaign with a five-run win against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan are now scheduled to tour Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series in Dhaka from March 11 to 15.
