![PCB looks for new Test head coach [AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1776243312831_MohsinNaqvi.jpg?type=hq)
PCB looks for new Test head coach [AFP]
Pakistan is set to return to some red-ball action in May 2026, as they face Bangladesh in a two-match Test series to resume their World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. This is the first time since October 2025 that Pakistan will be back in the whites after their home series draw against South Africa.
As things stand, after finishing at the rock bottom of the WTC 2023-25 cycle with five wins and 9 losses, they are fifth on the table with one win and one loss in the current cycle. However, as the team returns to Test action, several changes are expected within the camp in the midst of some questions around captain Shan Masood’s position in the team.
Pakistan set to re-shuffle Test setup
Pakistan has undergone several changes in the coaching department over the past couple of years. In April 2024, Jason Gillespie was appointed as the Test head coach, and he also took over the white-ball setup in October. However, his tenure was cut short, and the former Australian player left the job in December.
Aqib Javed replaced Gillespie in the Test team in December and subsequently in white-ball cricket. However, Javed was soon also replaced by Azhar Mahmood in June 2025 after the former all-rounder had served as the assistant coach for a while. He only coached the team in two Tests after the appointment.
According to the latest reports, Pakistan is once again set to change its head coach and is about to appoint the former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed ahead of their series against Bangladesh. Currently, Sarfaraz is leading a red-ball camp at the NCA and was also with the Pakistan U19 team over the past several months. An official announcement is expected soon.
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Will Shan Masood be replaced by PCB?
Shan Masood took over the Test captaincy from Babar Azam after the latter stepped down from captaincy in 2023. Since then, Masood has led them in 14 matches, where they have won 4 and lost 10 under him. Notably, they also lost a series against Bangladesh at home by 0-2 at this time.
During this period, Masood has been Pakistan’s second-highest run-getter with 953 runs in 28 innings at an average of 35.29.
According to the latest, the left-handed opening batter is set to retain his position as the captain of Pakistan’s Test team, as the PCB looks to provide stability to the red-ball setup. He is expected to lead against Bangladesh and subsequently in three Tests in England later this year.
Pakistan eye improvements in Tests
Since the introduction of the World Test Championship from the 2019-21 cycle, Pakistan have not featured in any of the three finals. In 2019-21, they finished 5th with 4 wins in 12 games, followed by a 7th place finish in 2021-23, where they won 4 of their 14 matches and finally 5 wins and 9 losses in 2023-25 to finish at the bottom.
As they head into the Sarfaraz Ahmed era, they will look to improve these results and climb up the points table, asserting dominance in Test cricket. With red-ball camps at the NCA, they are also looking to groom young talent to potentially serve the country for years to come.
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