Seasoned cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has been appointed as Pakistan Men's Cricket Team's Director. With an impressive career spanning 55 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20Is, ex-Pakistan's Test captain has amassed 12,780 runs and captured 253 wickets.
Prior to this appointment, Hafeez served as a member of the PCB Cricket Technical Committee but midway through the World Cup 2023. He was also an integral part of the Pakistan Men's team that triumphed in the ICC Champions Trophy in England in 2017.
Following Pakistan's horrendous show in the ODI World Cup 2023, the PCB decided to undergo a major revamp and reassign the Men in Green's coaching staff. Notably, The current coaches will continue to contribute at the National Cricket Academy while the PCB will unveil a new coaching staff for the series against New Zealand and Australia.
The culling of Pakistan's cricket team started with the resignation of Inzamam-ul-Haq from the chief selector post following Men in Green's dismal World Cup campaign. Morne Morkel followed suit and stepped down as Pakistan's bowling coach earlier this week.
But it all culminated on Wednesday, when Babar Azam made a shocking announcement and relinquished Pakistan's captaincy after a meeting with PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf. “Babar Azam is truly a world-class player and we want him to continue to thrive as a player. He is one of the best batters Pakistan has ever produced. He is our asset, and we will continue to support him. His batting prowess is a testament to his dedication and skill. He is a role model for the present generation," Zaka said, as reported by Geo Super.
“We want to see him grow as a great batter and now without his additional burden of the captaincy, he can focus more on his performances to reach even greater heights. We respect his decision and will continue to back him," Zaka added.
Following Babar's resignation PCB announced Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi as Paksitan's new captains for the Test and T20I format respectively.
Shan Masood's tenure as captain will extend until the conclusion of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. His maiden assignment as captain will be a three-match Test series against Australia in Australia, commencing on December 14th. Meanwhile, left-arm ace pacer Shaheen Afridi will lead the Pakistan in T20Is. His first assignment as Paksitan's captain will star from the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, scheduled from January 12 to 21.
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