Full Timeline of Pakistan Cricket Leadership Chaos That Led to 7 Players Being Dumped Mid-Tour

Pakistan cricket has hit another low point during their Test series against England. Trailing 2-0 following an innings loss in Leeds and a heavy defeat at Lord’s, Pakistan sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC 2025-27) points table.

In an unprecedented move, the Pakistan Cricket Board made major changes to the team in the middle of an overseas tour. Seven senior players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam ul Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Ali Usman and Muhammad Awais Zafar, were dropped and sent back home before the third Test.

To add to the trouble, the PCB also sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul mid-tour, replacing them with Mike Hesson (Pakistan’s white ball coach) and Ashley Noffke for the final Test.

This is not the first time that they have done this, nor is it the first time they have panicked under pressure.

Here is the full timeline of the Pakistan cricket leadership chaos that led to seven players being dumped mid-tour.

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Pakistan Captaincy Changes Since 2023

November 2023: Babar Azam stepped down as captain across all formats after the ODI World Cup 2023. Shaheen Afridi was appointed T20I captain, while Shan Masood was named Test captain.
March 2024: Shaheen Afridi was removed as T20I captain after just five months in the role. Babar Azam was reappointed as ODI and T20I captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
October 2024: Babar Azam resigned as white-ball captain for the second time to focus on his batting, without having captained an ODI match during his second tenure. Mohammad Rizwan was appointed as the new ODI and T20I captain.
March 2025: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were dropped from the T20I squad. Salman Ali Agha was appointed the new T20I captain, while Rizwan continued as ODI captain.
October 2025: Mohammad Rizwan was removed as ODI captain following the series loss in the West Indies. Shaheen Afridi was appointed the new ODI captain.
July 2026: Shan Masood stepped down as Test captain following the series defeat against Bangladesh. Babar Azam was reappointed as Test captain for the England tour.

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Pakistan Coaching Setup Changes Since 2023

November 2023: Grant Bradburn and Mickey Arthur were removed from their roles following the ODI World Cup 2023. Mohammad Hafeez was appointed as Team Director and interim head coach.
February 2024: Mohammad Hafeez was removed from his role after poor results on the tours of Australia and New Zealand.
April 2024: The PCB split the coaching responsibilities by format. Gary Kirsten was appointed white ball head coach, while Jason Gillespie was named Test head coach.
October 2024: Gary Kirsten resigned as white ball head coach following disagreements with the PCB. Jason Gillespie took over white ball duties on an interim basis.
November 2024: Aaqib Javed was appointed interim white ball head coach, while Jason Gillespie continued as Test head coach.
December 2024: Jason Gillespie stepped down as Test head coach. Aaqib Javed was then given the additional responsibility of overseeing the red ball team on an interim basis.
May 2025: Mike Hesson was appointed permanent white ball head coach, replacing Aaqib Javed.
June 2025: Azhar Mahmood was appointed acting Test head coach, replacing Aaqib Javed in the red ball setup.
December 2025: Azhar Mahmood’s tenure as acting Test head coach concluded early by mutual agreement.
April 2026: Sarfaraz Ahmed was appointed red ball head coach, with Umar Gul joining the Test setup as bowling coach.
August 2026: Sarfaraz Ahmed has been removed as Test head coach after the team lost the first two Tests against England. Mike Hesson to take charge of the Test team alongside his white ball responsibilities. Umar Gul is also removed as Test bowling coach, with Ashley Noffke taking over.

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