Azhar Ali has left his posts as national selector and head of youth development at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), ending a tenure that barely stretched to 12 months. The resignation letter, submitted earlier this week and quietly accepted, came amid what one official called “a clash of portfolios”.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the tipping point was the PCB’s decision to hand Sarfaraz Ahmed responsibility for Pakistan Shaheens and the Under-19 programme. That job description – overseeing tours, running training camps, mapping out talent pathways – overlaps almost line-for-line with Azhar’s own brief. Those close to the former Test captain say he felt there was suddenly “no clear space” for him to work.
The PCB has not issued a press release, and Azhar himself has stayed silent in public. A board insider, speaking on background, noted that “there were philosophical differences for months; Sarfaraz’s appointment just accelerated things.” That view tallies with what several regional coaches have been hearing since late summer.
When Azhar was unveiled last November, the PCB statement said he had been “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”. The wording left little ambiguity about how wide-ranging the role was meant to be.
Sarfaraz’s elevation, while not formally announced, effectively carves out the same territory. A coach involved with the Under-16 squad admitted it is “hard to know who to report to now”, adding that the situation is “unhelpful less than 14 months out from an Under-19 World Cup”.
That tournament, scheduled for January-February 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia, is the next big yard-stick for Pakistan’s age-group system. England, Scotland and the co-hosts Zimbabwe share Pakistan’s group. Pakistan last lifted the trophy in 2006, and expectations are rarely modest.
Azhar, 40, captained Pakistan in both Tests and ODIs and was respected for a studious approach to batting. His supporters argue that the board should have given him a clearer remit or, at the very least, communicated internal reshuffles more openly. Others point out that the PCB hierarchy has changed twice in 18 months, leaving job descriptions written in pencil.
A brief statement from a PCB spokesperson late on Tuesday read: “We acknowledge the services rendered by Azhar Ali and wish him well for future endeavours.” No mention was made of a replacement or whether Sarfaraz’s interim role will be formalised.
For now, the pathway coaches are preparing, somewhat in limbo, for winter training camps. Whether Sarfaraz, Azhar’s successor or someone else entirely walks through the door remains to be seen.
