Pakistan name team director Mohammed Hafeez as coach for tours of Australia and New Zealand

Pakistan cricket team's new director Mohammad Hafeez will serve as the head coach for the upcoming tours of Australia and New Zealand as well. Pakistan travel to Australia for three Tests in December before heading to New Zealand for five T20Is in January.

This is a huge step up for 43-year-old Hafeez who was named the team director just a day prior in the aftermath of Pakistan's horrible World Cup 2023 campaign. The developments were reported by ESPNCricinfo which also says that the two roles - head and team director - have been merged by the PCB.

The status of current team director Mickey Arthur and head coach Grant Bradburn, however, remains unknown. While they have not been relieved of their duties yet, it could only be because the interim committee which is currently heading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lacks the authority for the same.

The appointment of Hafeez as the head coach for the time being concluded the tumultuous 24-hour period in Pakistan cricket which saw their all-format captain Babar Azam stepping down. Babar was told that he could continue as the Test skipper but would be relieved of the job in the white-ball format. The former skipper decided to let go of it all.

Shan Masood replaced Babar Azam as the Test skipper while pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi was named the T20 skipper. With no ODIs to be played in the near future, the PCB hasn't named an ODI captain yet.

With all positions filled, only the chief selector job remains vacant after former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq resigned from the post amid scrutiny of the team's poor performance by the board.

Pakistan play three Tests in Australia starting December 14 in Perth before heading to New Zealand for the five T20Is. The team will depart on November 30 and will also play a warm-up game from December 6-9 in Manuka Oval.