Hafeez to serve as Pakistan’s head coach for Australia, NZ tours

Former cricketer Mohammad Hafeez will serve as Pakistan’s head coach for the upcoming Australia and New Zealand tour. Hafeez has been appointed as the Pakistan team director, a role previously held by Mickey Arthur until a reshuffle followed by Babar Azam’s resignation as the captain.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to merge the positions of team director and head coach. Currently, Hafeez will play a dual role in the upcoming three Test matches in Australia and five T20Is in New Zealand, scheduled for December and January, respectively.
Hafeez, a recent member of the PCB Cricket Technical Committee and a former all-rounder, was part of the Pakistan men’s team that won the ICC Champions Trophy in England in 2017.
The PCB has undergone changes in the portfolio of the Pakistan coaching staff. All coaches will continue to work in the National Cricket Academy, and the PCB will announce the new coaching staff for the upcoming series in Australia and New Zealand in due course.
Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam announced on Wednesday his decision to step down as the Pakistan captain in all formats after his side’s disappointing performance in the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. Pakistan suffered five defeats out of nine matches, including one against arch-rival India.
In their last league match of the tournament, the ‘Men in Green’ faced slim chances of reaching the semifinals, needing a win by a significant margin to impact the net run rate.