Azhar Mahmood likely to joins Pakistan coaching staff

Former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood is expected to be added into the Pakistan coaching setup which is expected to be announced in coming days.

The board is leaning towards appointing local coaches for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Apart from Azhar, former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and batting great Mohammad Yousuf are expected to join the coaching staff for this series.

Moreover, the board is close to finalizing former South African batter Gary Kirsten as the white-ball head coach and ex-Australian pacer Jason Gillespie for red-ball head coach for the national men’s team.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi in an interaction with media mentioned that the availability of foreign coaches for the T20I series depends on finalising their appointments before the it begins.

“It depends on if we are able to finalize their (foreign coaches) appointment before the series,” Naqvi said.

Mahmood, who currently serves as the bowling coach for Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Islamabad United, has emerged as a frontrunner. The PCB recently advertised the assistant coach role, which will provide support to both the red-ball and white-ball coaches.

The New Zealand team will arrive in Pakistan on April 14th for with the series commencing on April 18th, with three matches scheduled in Rawalpindi and the remaining two in Lahore.