Why was Azhar Mahmood not part of the Bangladesh series?

LAHORE: Former assistant coach of the Pakistan cricket team, Azhar Mahmood was removed from team management due to his association with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Islamabad United (IU), sources revealed on Wednesday.

According to sources, Mike Hesson, currently serving as the head coach of Pakistan’s white-ball team, was reportedly lobbying to bring IU’s coaching staff into the national setup due to his ties with the franchise.

In response to the situation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided not to include Azhar in the coaching staff for the time being.

Alongside him, Mohammad Yousuf also failed to secure a place in the team management, with both being sidelined by the PCB for the Bangladesh series.

The PCB reportedly stepped in and delivered a clear message to Hesson that focus on coaching and steer clear of unnecessary politics. 

Officials emphasised that all coaching appointments would be made strictly on merit.

Hesson’s efforts allegedly included attempts to bring IU personnel — including players like Shadab Khan and members of the coaching staff — into the national team, but the PCB rejected the proposal.

As a result, Azhar was not included in the team management for the recent three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. 

His removal, along with that of Yousuf, was directly linked to Hesson’s lobbying, sources reiterated.

Previously, Azhar had served as Pakistan’s bowling coach and had also expressed interest in becoming the team’s head coach.

However, for the Bangladesh series, the PCB opted to appoint former Australian cricketer Ashley Noffke as the bowling coach instead.

Mahmood, in an interview earlier this month, had expressed his interest in taking up the role, stating that he would apply for the role.

“I’m definitely going to apply for the Pakistan team head coach role,” Mahmood stated.