Mark Coles has resigned effective immediately as head coach of the Pakistan women’s team, citing personal reasons, four months after being appointed for the second time. Coles had previously led the group as its head coach from 2017 until 2019.
The resignation occurs as the women’s team is facing a less-than-ideal opponent in South Africa in a high-profile home series that kicks off on September 1 in Karachi. Each of the six matches—three T20Is and three ODIs—is played in Karachi. There is no assurance that a permanent replacement will be in place by the time that series kicks off, despite the PCB’s statement that a new coach will be announced “in due course.”
The following year will see Pakistan play 15 ODIs and 17 T20 Internationals. In addition to South Africa, they visit Bangladesh, New Zealand, and England as well as host the West Indies at home.
Coles hasn’t spoken publicly to the resignation, which the PCB is said to have been quite surprised by. He stated he was “excited to lead the team in the upcoming events” as he was introduced as Pakistan’s head coach and Nida Dar as the new captain.
At the time, Coles had remarked, “It has been an honour to work with such a brilliant group of players, and I look forward to the exciting days ahead as we try to improve our past results and accomplishments. The team has a lot of potential, and I look forward to assisting the players in giving it their all and succeeding on the international scene.
He would ultimately supervise no games during this second spell. When he was first hired in 2017, he did have a somewhat successful period on the pitch. Seven out of 16 of Pakistan’s ODI victories were victories, or just under 50%, including a well-known comeback series victory over the West Indies. In addition, before Coles left due to “family commitments,” they prevailed in 15 of the 32 T20Is.
In a statement, the PCB stated that it would “like to extend its gratitude to Mark Coles for his brief stint with the women’s side and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”
