After sticking with former Test bowler Wahab Riaz through a succession of unsatisfactory results, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to search for a foreign coach for its national women’s side. The PCB will soon issue an advertisement for the head coach position, with a foreign candidate likely to be preferred, according to a trusted source within the board on Friday.
In December 2025, Wahab took over as head coach of the women’s squad, which has had at least six different coaches since 2020. But the outcomes under his direction have fallen short of expectations. The team performed poorly in the Women’s T20 format and struggled in bilateral series against Sri Lanka, adding to the frustration that had already accumulated from a dismal ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup campaign in India, where Pakistan struggled, among other things, against Sri Lanka.
NDTV quotes a source saying, “The appointment will be made before the women’s team’s next international assignment which is a tour of the West Indies.”
In addition to current concerns, the board’s preference for an international coach is based on historical practice. Some of Pakistan women’s better performances are attributed to foreign coaches David Hemp and Mark Coles. Coles was the team’s initial coach from 2017 to 2019, and he briefly returned in 2023. The outcomes of their tenures have influenced the PCB’s perspective. The board’s belief that new foreign experience is needed to stabilise the program and boost standards has been strengthened by recent underperformance and the magnitude of the 2028 hosting responsibility.
A strict internal timetable for finishing the appointment has been established by the PCB. The new coach will take over prior to the women’s team’s upcoming international assignment, a tour of the West Indies, according to a source who spoke with NDTV. As of this writing, there has been no official notification confirming Wahab’s departure, and the identities of the individuals being considered have not been made public. However, it seems evident that the board intends to have a new coaching system in place well in advance of that tour, giving the new coach time to evaluate the team and start getting ready for the 2028 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
