Pakistan drop Azhar Mahmood in fresh coaching line-up for Bangladesh T20Is

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a new coaching staff and management for the forthcoming Twenty20I series against Bangladesh, starting next week. Surprisingly, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood is not part of the coaching staff.

Mike Hesson of New Zealand will take over as head coach, the PCB said. Among the other important postings are Hanif Malik as the batting coach and Ashley Noffke of Australia as the bowling coach. On the other hand, the team manager is now Naveed Akram Cheema.

The new support staff also includes Mohammad Masroor as the fielding coach, Cliff Deacon as the physiotherapist, and Imranullah as the strength and conditioning coach. The team management will also comprise a team analyst, team doctor, security manager, masseur, and media manager.

This series marks the beginning of Hesson’s tenure as the white-ball head coach of Pakistan men’s cricket, after he was appointed by the PCB for the said role on May 13, replacing Aqib Javed.

Mahmood, who previously held the role of bowling coach, had expressed his interest in taking up the role, stating that he would apply for the post of head coach.

“I’m definitely going to apply for the Pakistan team head coach role,” Mahmood stated in an interview earlier this month. However, the board did not consider him for the crucial role.

These changes come as Pakistan prepare to face Bangladesh in the T20I series, signalling a significant overhaul in the team's backroom leadership.

All three T20Is will be held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, starting on May 28 and concluding on June 1.

The first T20I will be played on Wednesday, the second on Friday and the final on Sunday. All matches will begin at 8:00pm local time.

Originally, Bangladesh was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on May 21 in two groups, with a five-match T20I series planned to begin on May 25 in Faisalabad. However, logistical adjustments and security considerations led to a revised three-match series, all to be hosted in Lahore, following the revision of the schedule in the wake of a recent standoff between Pakistan and India.

The first group of the Bangladesh cricket team has arrived in Lahore for the three-match T20 International series against Pakistan.

The initial 10-member squad includes players Hasan Mahmud, Mohammad Tanvir Islam, and Parvez Hossain Emon. Tanzim Hasan Sakib and members of the support staff are also part of the first batch to reach the city.

Bangladesh players are set to arrive in three groups for the upcoming series. Both teams will train at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on May 26 and 27, ahead of the opening fixture. Captains of both sides will also hold a pre-match press conference on May 27.

The PCB announced a 16-member squad for the T20I series, with Salman Ali Agha named captain and Shadab Khan as vice-captain. The selection is based on performances in the ongoing PSL X.

The squad includes Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, and Naseem Shah. Notable exclusions are former captain Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Abbas Afridi, Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Umair bin Yousuf, Sufyan Muqeem, and Usman Khan were also left out.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh will be led by Litton Das, who was appointed T20I captain earlier this year after Najmul Hossain Shanto stepped down. Off-spinner Mahedi Hasan is the vice-captain for both the UAE and Pakistan tours.