Pakistan Team Director Mohammad Hafeez To Serve As Head Coach For Upcoming Tours To Australia & New Zealand - Report

Pakistan cricket team's new director Mohammad Hafeez reportedly to serve dual role as the former batter is set to be head coach for the upcoming tours to Australia and New Zealand.

According to a report from ESPNcricInfo, newly appointed team director Hafeez will also serve as the head coach of the Pakistan team for the three Test matches in Australia followed by five T20Is in New Zealand, in December and January.

While Hafeez is expected to serve in a dual role, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said in a statement that all the coaches, who were part of the support staff, will continue to work in National Cricket Academy, and the new coaching staff will be announced in due course.

In a string of changes following the poor showing at the World Cup, Pakistan replaced Mickey Arthur with Hafeez, who last played for Pakistan two years ago, and is set for a major step up without no real coaching experience.

The PCB also named Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the team's Test and T20 captains respectively after Babar Azam decided to step down from the role across formats.

Hafeez expressed his delight at being appointed the Team Director of the Pakistan cricket side and asserted that they would strive for excellence together.

"I am honoured and excited to take on the role of Team Director for the Pakistan Cricket Team. I would like to thank PCB for trusting my abilities and giving me this challenging responsibility," Hafeez said.

"But, I am committed to work collaboratively with the coaching staff and players to contribute to the team's success. Together, we will strive for excellence and bring happiness for our passionate fans," Hafeez added in a statement released by the board.

Pakistan are expected to fly out to for Australia on November 30, and play a warm-up game against the Prime Minister's XI at the Manuka Oval from December 6 to 9 with the first Test scheduled tp start on December 14 in Perth.

The second Test will take place on Boxing Day at the MCG before the series in concluded with third Test in Sydney, from January 3, 2024 to January 7, 2024. After the three Tests, they travel to New Zealand to play five T20Is.