Former Pakistan cricketer Azhar Mahmood has been appointed as the head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand. This announcement was made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a recent press release.
Azhar Mahmood brings a wealth of experience to the role, having represented Pakistan in 164 international matches. During his playing career, he took 162 wickets and scored 2,421 runs. He has previous coaching experience with the Pakistan team, having served as the bowling coach from 2016 to 2019.
Joining Mahmood in the coaching staff is Mohammad Yousuf, who will take on the role of batting coach. Saeed Ajmal, the former spin bowling coach during Pakistan’s recent tours of Australia and New Zealand, will continue in his role as the spin bowling coach for the upcoming series.
Wahab Riaz has been appointed as the senior team manager, adding further experience and leadership to the team’s support staff.
The five-match T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand is scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18th to April 27th.
This series is expected to be highly competitive, with both teams looking to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year.
Support staff for the Pakistan team for the New Zealand T20Is include:
- Wahab Riaz (Senior Team Manager)
- Mansoor Rana (Team Manager)
- Azhar Mahmood (Head Coach)
- Mohammad Yousuf (Batting Coach)
- Saeed Ajmal (Spin Bowling Coach)
- Aftab Khan (Field Coach)
- Cliffe Deacon (Physiotherapist)
- Drikus Saiman (Strength and Conditioning Coach)
- Talha Butt (Analyst)
- Irtiza Komail (Security Manager)
- Raza Kitchlew (Media and Digital Manager)
- Zain Maqsood (Videographer)
- Dr Khurram Sarwar (Doctor)
- Mohammad Imran (Masseur)
The final squad for the Pakistan team for the New Zealand series will be announced on Tuesday, April 9th.
The inclusion of experienced coaching staff and support personnel indicates the Pakistan Cricket Board’s commitment to ensuring a successful and competitive performance in the upcoming series against New Zealand.
