Pakistan have appointed former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood as the new acting head coach of the Test team – the latest man to get the job in what has become a musical chair of coaches in the Pakistan cricket. Azhar is the seventh person to get the job since 2021 and take over another interim coach Aaqib Javed who had taken over when Jason Gillespie had quit abruptly shortly after white-ball coach Gary Kirsten did the same six months into the job last year. Mahmood, who is now a British citizen, will be against World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 cycle winners South Africa later this year when they visit Pakistan.
Who is Azhar Mahmood?
Mahmood made his debut for Pakistan in 1996 and was part of 1999 ODI World Cup runners up team as well. He played 21 Tests and 143 ODIs for Pakistan – scoring 900 & 1,521 runs and taking 39 & 123 wickets, respectively. He scored three Test hundreds with a best of 136 and could manage only three fifties in ODIs with a best of 67. As for his bowling, Mahmood’s best bowling in an innings in Test was 4/50 but he took three five-fors in ODIs with a best of 6/18.
Azhar Mahmood in IPL
After taking part in inaugural edition in IPL 2008, Pakistan players were banned from the tournament in the wake of Mumbai terror attack on November 26 in 2008. Mahmood, who is of Pakistani origin, became a British citizen in 2011 by the virtue of his wife being a British national.
Mahmood, on the basis of his British nationality, was picked by Punjab Kings ahead if IPL 2012. He played in 2012 and 2013 season for PBKS and then played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) 2015 but played one game.
Overall, he played 23 IPL games, taking 29 wickets as a bowler and scoring 388 runs as a batter with 80 as his highest.