Yeh faisla Jason Gillespie ke December 2024 mein resign karne ke baad aaya, jab se team bina permanent coach ke thi. Azhar ka contract April 2026 tak hai, aur unka pehla challenge 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle ke liye team ko tayyar karna hoga, jisme South Africa ke khilaaf do-match series shamil hai.
Azhar Mahmood Ka Background
Azhar Mahmood, ek 50 saal ke purane all-rounder, ne Pakistan ke liye 21 Tests aur 143 ODIs khele, jisme unhone Tests mein 900 runs aur 39 wickets, aur ODIs mein 1521 runs aur 123 wickets liye. Unke paas teen centuries aur chaar half-centuries hain. Unhone English County Cricket mein Surrey ke saath do Championship titles jeete, jo unki red-ball cricket ki samajh ko darshata hai. Azhar 2022 se Pakistan ke assistant coach aur bowling coach rahe hain, aur PSL mein Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, aur Islamabad United ke saath kaam kiya hai.
| Player | Tests | Runs | Wickets | ODIs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azhar Mahmood | 21 | 900 | 39 | 143 | 1521 | 123 |
Positives of Azhar’s Appointment
Azhar ka anubhav unhe ek mazboot candidate banata hai. Unki County Cricket mein success aur Pakistan ke coaching setup mein lamba samay unhe team ki strategies aur players ki mentality ka gehra gyan deta hai. PCB ne unke “seasoned cricketing mind” ki taareef ki hai, aur unki leadership se team mein discipline aur consistency aane ki ummeed hai. Unka pehla target South Africa ke khilaaf series mein team ko WTC mein better position dilana hoga, jisme Pakistan ne pichle cycle (2023-25) mein sirf 27.98% PCT ke saath last place paya tha.
Negatives and Challenges
Azhar ki appointment interim hone ke wajah se kuch fans aur critics khush nahi hain. X posts ke mutabiq, kuch log isse “musical chairs” ke roop mein dekhte hain, kyunki Pakistan ne 2019 se 10 coaches badle hain. Azhar ke assistant coach ke dauraan team ne consistent success nahi dekha, jo unke khilaaf ja sakta hai. Iske alawa, unke IPL record (Punjab Kings aur KKR ke liye 23 matches) mein koi khaas performance nahi thi, jo unki coaching credibility par sawaal utha sakta hai.
Pakistan Team Ka Support
Pakistan ki team, jo pichle WTC cycle mein struggle karti rahi, abhi bhi Babar Azam aur Shaheen Afridi jaise talented players par nirbhar hai. 1992 World Cup jeetne wali team ke Wasim Akram ke do-in-two yaadgar wickets ki tarah, Pakistan ke players mein potential hai. Azhar ko in players ke saath kaam karke unki batting aur bowling mein consistency laani hogi.
Conclusion
Azhar Mahmood ki appointment ek nayi shuruaat ho sakti hai, lekin unke saamne challenges bade hain. Unka anubhav team ko stability de sakta hai, lekin interim role aur past inconsistent performances unke liye mushkil paida kar sakte hain. Fans ko ummeed hai ki Azhar, ek underdog ki tarah, Pakistan ko Test cricket mein nayi oonchaiyon tak le jayenge.
