Pakistan Cricket Team Head Coach History: Every Appointment Since 2019
Eleven coaching appointments in five years — Pakistan’s dugout is international cricket’s most revolving door. This is the complete Pakistan head coach history: every appointment, every sacking, and what each era produced.
Quick answer: Since 2019 Pakistan have cycled through Misbah-ul-Haq (2019–21), Saqlain Mushtaq (2021–23), Grant Bradburn (2023), Mohammad Hafeez (2023–24), Gary Kirsten & Jason Gillespie (2024–25), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Test, 2025–26) and now Mike Hesson (2025–) — 11 appointments in five years.
In this guide
Full Timeline
| Period | Head coach | How it ended |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–21 | Misbah-ul-Haq | Resigned Sep 2021 (with Waqar Younis) |
| 2021–23 | Saqlain Mushtaq | Interim → permanent; left after 2022–23 |
| 2023 | Grant Bradburn (+ Mickey Arthur) | Dual structure scrapped end-2023 |
| 2023–24 | Mohammad Hafeez (team director) | Left after Australia tour |
| 2024–25 | Gary Kirsten (white-ball) · Jason Gillespie (Test) | Split model ended |
| 2025–26 | Mike Hesson (white-ball) · Sarfaraz Ahmed (Test) | Sarfaraz sacked Aug 2026 |
| 2026– | Mike Hesson | Current |
Era by Era
- Misbah (2019–21): the all-format rebuild; ended with the dual resignation of Misbah and bowling coach Waqar Younis in September 2021.
- Saqlain (2021–23): steadied the ship through the 2022 T20 World Cup final run (under Shaun Tait’s fast-bowling watch).
- Bradburn/Arthur (2023): the “team director + head coach” experiment — scrapped within a year.
- Hafeez (2023–24): the Australia tour directorship; short and turbulent.
- Kirsten/Gillespie (2024–25): the split-coach model — Kirsten for white-ball, Gillespie for Tests.
- Hesson era (2025–): the current rebuild — and the most powerful coach’s office Pakistan has seen.
Why the Churn
Pakistan’s coaching carousel spins on results-driven panic: a bad series or tournament exit triggers sackings, which trigger interim arrangements, which trigger the next restructure. The 2021–26 period saw 11 appointments — Misbah’s resignation, the Bradburn/Arthur experiment, the Hafeez interlude, the Kirsten/Gillespie split, and the 2026 double sacking. Stability, Hesson’s backers argue, is exactly what his sweeping powers are meant to deliver.
More: coaches guide · Hesson profile.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Pakistan’s coach before Mike Hesson?
Gary Kirsten (white-ball) and Jason Gillespie (Test) in 2024–25, under the split-coach model.
How many head coaches has Pakistan had since 2019?
Seven head-coaching regimes (Misbah, Saqlain, Bradburn, Hafeez, Kirsten/Gillespie, Sarfaraz, Hesson) across 11 total coaching appointments in five years.
Why does Pakistan change coaches so often?
Results-driven upheaval: poor series or tournament exits trigger sackings and restructures — a cycle running since Misbah and Waqar’s 2021 resignations.
