End of the road for Sarfaraz Ahmed? Ruthless PCB reshuffle sees PAK legend emerge frontrunner for Test head coach role
Article excerpt
Pakistan's cricket board is orchestrating a major overhaul after a humiliating 2-0 Test series loss to Bangladesh, a result that has effectively ended Sarfaraz Ahmed's tenure as head coach. The PCB is moving toward replacing him with Younis Khan, a Pakistan cricket legend who played 118 Tests and is now emerging as the frontrunner for the position. The reshuffle represents a dramatic shift in the team's leadership structure following the whitewash defeat.
End of the road for Sarfaraz Ahmed? Ruthless PCB reshuffle sees PAK legend emerge frontrunner for Test head coach role originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Sarfaraz Ahmed's tenure might end after a 2-0 whitewash by Bangladesh in Tests.
Younis Khan might be handed a new contract.
Mohammad Hafeez likely to become Director of International Cricket.
Younis Khan set to replace Sarfaraz Ahmed as Pakistan Test head coach after Bangladesh humiliation
Sarfaraz Ahmed's stint as Pakistan's Test head coach appears to be over before it had a proper chance to breathe, as Geo News reports that former captain Younis Khan is in line to take over the role, in what would be a significant reshuffling of the country's cricketing leadership.
Sarfaraz, the wicketkeeper-batter who famously captained Pakistan to their Champions Trophy title in 2017, was only appointed as head coach in April this year. His first assignment was a two-match Test series in Bangladesh, and it ended in a 2-0 whitewash.
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It was the second consecutive time Pakistan had been whitewashed 2-0 by Bangladesh in Test cricket, and alarm bells started ringing in Lahore.
The defeats have also put Shan Masood's future as Test captain in serious doubt, with sources suggesting the PCB is weighing a change in leadership at the top of the order as well. All-rounder Salman Agha is said to be the name being considered as a replacement should Masood be removed from the role.
Younis is Pakistan's highest run-scorer in Test cricket and one of the most respected figures the game has produced in that country. He captained Pakistan to their only ICC Men's T20 World Cup title back in 2009, and the PCB believes in his credentials to steer Pakistan to glory again.
Beyond taking charge as Test head coach, he is also expected to join Pakistan's national selection committee, which currently includes Aqib Javed, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, and Sarfaraz himself.
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Mohammad Hafeez to return in a major administrative role
Mohammad Hafeez could reportedly be named Director of International Cricket. It is a post that has sat empty since Usman Wahla was suspended by the PCB last year.
Like Younis, Hafeez is also set to take on a seat in the national men's selection committee.
Hafeez has been severely critical of the Pakistan cricket team, and it remains to be seen what changes he brings in to get the team back on the winning track.
He has a distinguished international career spanning 55 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20 Internationals and is not short on experience at the highest level.
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The Cricket News Opinion: PCB should show more patience
Pakistan cricket's administrative habit of making sweeping changes after every rough patch is exhausting.
Sarfaraz barely had time to settle into the head coach role before the axe started swinging. That said, a second consecutive Test whitewash by Bangladesh, at home or away, is the kind of result that demands a response.
The question is whether replacing Sarfaraz with Younis actually addresses the structural problems underneath.
Younis Khan's appointment could be transformative if he is given real authority and time. He has the credibility in the dressing room that few coaches can claim, and his record as a leader and a batter speaks for itself.
But Pakistan cricket's history is littered with brilliant former players who were undermined by interference from the board before they could make a meaningful difference. If Younis is allowed to actually do the job, this could work.
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