KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that it will not make any major changes in the national team structure following its exit from the Super Eight round of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup despite beating Sri Lanka in the final.

In a significant policy change, the board has opted not to make any changes in the captaincy or coaching staff, sources said.

Contrary to past practice of reacting to setbacks with dramatic layoffs, the PCB now prioritizes continuity and confidently backs its current leadership.

White-ball head coach Mike Hesson will continue in his role as per his contract.

He will work alongside T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and ODI captain Shaheen Afridi, both of whom have been retained in their leadership roles.

The PCB has advised Hesson and Afridi to focus on their preparations for the 2027 ICC World Cup to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

However, the Test team will see a change in its coaching staff following the resignation of head coach and former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood.

Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed to the vacancy and will assume his duties on his return from Abu Dhabi.

Akib Javed, director of the High-Performance Center, will continue with the Selection Committee in their current roles.

However, the board accepted the resignation of examiner Aleem Dar and a new examiner will be inducted in his place.

Talking about Pakistan’s campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026, the team started their league-level matches on a positive note, defeating the Netherlands by three wickets.

However, it suffered a heavy defeat by 61 runs against arch-rivals India in its second match. Pakistan bounced back strongly against Namibia, winning their last group-stage match by 102 runs.

Their first Super Eight match against New Zealand was abandoned, followed by a loss to England. Pakistan started their campaign with a 5-run win over Sri Lanka.

Following the T20 World Cup disappointment, Pakistan will tour Bangladesh for a 3-match ODI series in Dhaka from March 11 to 15.

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