Here’s the Entire Coaching History of Azhar Mahmood

Azhar Mahmood has worn many hats in his cricketing life—match-winning all-rounder, globe-trotting T20 pro, and, increasingly over the last decade, a respected coach trusted by franchises and boards alike.

Now, with the Pakistan Cricket Board appointing him as interim red-ball head coach, the question is whether his vast, varied experience can give Pakistan’s Test cricket a winning blueprint moving forward.

Azhar Mahmood began his coaching career soon after retiring from professional cricket, first stepping into the national spotlight as Pakistan’s bowling coach from 2016 to 2019. His familiarity with Pakistan’s dressing room culture has always been seen as an asset and may have played a part in his current appointment.

Domestically, Azhar juggled multiple stints in the Pakistan Super League, first with Karachi Kings as bowling coach and later guiding Islamabad United as both head coach and assistant coach. In between, he joined Multan Sultans in 2021 and took up fast-bowling duties with the Desert Vipers in the ILT20, underscoring his reputation as a sought-after T20 specialist.

His coaching credentials also feature international exposure with England as an assistant bowling coach in 2021 and time with Surrey. Those stints were crucial in broadening his perspective beyond the subcontinent—experience that could prove valuable in modern Test cricket, where preparation and analytics are as vital as gut instinct.

Azhar Mahmood’s Coaching Career:

Perhaps what stands out most is Azhar’s adaptability. Whether it was working in the franchise-driven chaos of the PSL, mentoring England’s bowlers, or managing county professionals in England, he has rarely been out of touch with the game’s latest trends.

Despite his expansive coaching résumé, Azhar Mahmood’s success at the helm of Pakistan’s red-ball team will likely depend on more than experience. Pakistan’s Test side isn’t the PCB’s main concern right now. The batting order still looks brittle, the seam attack faces continuous changes, and the overreliance on Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali on spinning tracks remains an issue to address.

Azhar’s challenge will be to inspire consistency in a format where Pakistan have often blown hot and cold. His familiarity with many current players could help in the short term, but his short stint already hints that his future may lie elsewhere. How that affects his standing in the dressing room will be carefully monitored by the media.

But if there is a coach who knows the complexities of Pakistan cricket, the constant scrutiny, and the need to evolve quickly, it is Azhar Mahmood. His track record is proof of both resilience and ambition. Whether that is enough to lift Pakistan back toward the top of the Test rankings will unfold over the coming months.