The Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has assigned the chief selector, Wahab Riaz, with the responsibility of recruiting foreign coaches for the national cricket team, according to sources. Naqvi, who assumed the position of PCB chief uncontested earlier this month, made this decision following the resignations of Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn, and Andrew Puttick from their roles in January.
In April 2023, Arthur transitioned to the role of director of the men’s cricket team, while Bradburn had been serving as the head coach of the national men’s side since the previous year. Former South African cricketer Puttick had been Pakistan’s batting coach since April 2023.
This move follows a significant restructuring of the national cricket team, prompted by their disappointing performance at the World Cup. Under the leadership of Babar Azam, the team failed to reach the semi-finals and struggled against top-tier opponents.
Following the World Cup, Azam stepped down from his captaincy in all formats, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood taking over leadership roles in T20 and Test cricket, respectively. Additionally, Mohammad Hafeez succeeded Arthur as team director but was later replaced after Pakistan’s defeat against Australia in the Test series.
Hafeez expressed disappointment over the premature end of his tenure, claiming he had been promised a four-year term but was released from the position after only two months under the new chairmanship. He shared his sentiments on the matter via the social media platform X.
