The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former Test opener Imran Farhat as the batting coach of the national team for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, which begins on 12 October at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Former left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has been named the spin bowling coach, while Azhar Mehmood will serve as the head coach for the red-ball format, marking the start of Pakistan’s campaign in the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27.
The two-match Test series will be the opening assignment of the WTC for both sides, with South Africa beginning their title defence in Pakistan. The first Test will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium from 12 to 16 October, followed by the second and final Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 20 to 24 October.
A PCB spokesperson confirmed that the first batch of the South African contingent arrived in Lahore in the early hours of Monday, while the remaining members of the touring party are expected to land in the coming days.
The Pakistan team’s coaching and management staff for the Test series features a blend of experience and expertise. Alongside Azhar Mehmood as head coach and Imran Farhat and Abdur Rehman in specialist roles, Abdul Majeed will serve as the fielding coach, Cliffe Deacon as physiotherapist, Grant Luden as strength and conditioning coach, and Talha Butt as performance analyst. Naveed Akram Cheema will manage the team.
Following the Test series, Pakistan and South Africa will play three T20Is and three ODIs, marking the conclusion of the Proteas’ tour. The limited-overs leg begins with the first T20I in Rawalpindi on 28 October, followed by the second and third matches in Lahore on 31 October and 1 November, respectively. The ODI series will be staged at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, from 4 to 8 November.
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