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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday officially appointed former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as the head coach of the national Test side ahead of the upcoming tour of Bangladesh.
Sarfaraz will begin his tenure during the two-match Test series, part of the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
The opening Test is scheduled to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from May 8 to 12, while the second fixture will take place at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium from May 16 to 20.
The appointment ends a prolonged vacancy in Pakistan’s red-ball coaching setup following the departure of Azhar Mahmood in October 2025.
Azhar had served as interim head coach since June last year, overseeing a home Test series against South Africa that ended in a 1-1 draw. With no red-ball fixtures scheduled until mid-2026, both parties mutually agreed to conclude his stint earlier than planned.
Sarfaraz Ahmed recently guided Pakistan’s Under-19 side to the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2025 title and also served as mentor during the Pakistan Shaheens’ series against England Lions earlier this year.
During his playing career, Sarfaraz enjoyed notable success as captain, leading Pakistan to two ICC titles, the U19 World Cup in 2006 and the Champions Trophy in 2017.
The PCB also confirmed additions to the support staff, with Asad Shafiq appointed as batting coach and Umar Gul taking charge as bowling coach for the tour.
Asad featured in 147 international matches (77 Tests, 60 ODIs, 10 T20Is), scoring 6,188 runs, including 12 centuries and 36 half-centuries, while Umar featured in 237 international matches (47 Tests, 130 ODIs, 60 T20Is), taking 427 wickets.
Pakistan team management: Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Sarfaraz Ahmed (head coach), Asad Shafiq (batting coach), Umar Gul (bowling coach), Abdul Saad (fielding coach) Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media manager), Lt. Col. (r) Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor) and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur)
READ: Four uncapped players named in Pakistan squad for Bangladesh Tests
