Former cricketer Basit Ali has stirred a new controversy with a major revelation just a day after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Azhar Mahmood as the interim head coach of the national Test team.

 

Speaking on a local YouTube channel, Basit claimed that Misbah-ul-Haq was set to be named head coach, but last-minute internal changes within the PCB camp shifted the decision in Azhar Mahmood’s favour.

 

“Misbah was going to be the head coach, but when the wind changed direction, everything changed. Aqib Javed, the director of high performance, and T20 captain Salman Ali Agha’s backing played a crucial role in giving Azhar Mahmood the Red Ball coaching role. I am saying this with full responsibility, otherwise Misbah’s name was finalised," Basit Ali said.

 

He further claimed that the final say came down to Salman Ali Agha’s vote, which tipped the balance. “Some things cannot be said openly. We have to be careful, too,” he added.

 

The 54-year-old also criticised the PCB’s inconsistency in hiring and firing coaches, questioning the logic behind extending contracts only to terminate them early.

 

“You said Azhar Mahmood’s contract runs until April 2026, then why did you pay off mentors with three-year deals and let them go early?” he asked. “There must be fairness and consistency. If you can end one contract early, the same principle should apply to others. You could have just paid one or two months’ salary and moved on, same could’ve been done here.”

 

Earlier, the PCB had officially announced that Azhar Mahmood will serve as the interim red-ball head coach until the completion of his contract in April 2026. The 50-year-old former all-rounder signed a two-year deal in April and had previously served as assistant coach of the national team.

 

Under Azhar’s leadership, Pakistan will begin its ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 campaign with a two-match home series against South Africa in October-November, followed by an away series against Bangladesh in March-April 2026.