Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been appointed as the Director of the Pakistan men’s cricket team by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday. Hafeez, who has represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20Is, takes over the position from Mickey Arthur, who served as the head coach for Pakistan. He played a crucial role in Pakistan’s triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy in England in 2017 and was a recent member of the PCB Cricket Technical Committee.
In a notable change, the PCB has revised the roles within the coaching staff and the announcement of the new coaching staff for the upcoming series in Australia and New Zealand will be made in due course.
Meanwhile, star Pakistan batter Babar Azam has decided to step down as Pakistan’s captain across all formats after a disappointing performance in the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. The 28-year-old expressed gratitude to the PCB and the fans for their support during his captaincy, stating, “Today, I’m stepping down as the captain of Pakistan across all formats. It’s a difficult decision, but I feel it is the right time for this call. I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility.”
During Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan reached the No. 1 position in ODIs, but their World Cup campaign concluded with a substantial defeat against England. Babar’s personal performance in the tournament saw him score 320 runs in nine matches, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer for Pakistan with an average of 40 and a strike rate of 82.90.
Finally, Morne Morkel has resigned from his position as the bowling coach of the Pakistan Men’s team, concluding his six-month contract with the team earlier this week.