Cricket Scotland has announced that former Pakistan Captain Azhar Ali has joined the Scotland men’s backroom team in a consultancy role for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign in Nepal, marking the latest international coaching assignment for the former batter following his departure from the Pakistan Cricket Board last year.
Confirming Azhar Ali’s signing on X, Cricket Scotland said: “Cricket Scotland is pleased to confirm that Azhar Ali has joined the Scotland Men’s backroom team in a consultancy role for the tour of Nepal.”
Cricket Scotland is pleased to confirm that @AzharAli_ has joined the Scotland Men’s backroom team in a consultancy role for the tour of Nepal.
➡️ https://t.co/dk4LBsmwsJ pic.twitter.com/f34eHGuuQi
— Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) May 8, 2026
Azhar will work alongside Scotland Head Coach Owen Dawkins during the tour, with Scotland scheduled to face Nepal and the United States in a series of fixtures that could significantly influence qualification pathways for the next ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup global qualifier.
The appointment also marks a return to familiar surroundings for Azhar, who spent six seasons playing club cricket in Scotland with Huntly Cricket Club in Aberdeenshire during the early stages of his career.
Scotland turn to Azhar Ali for World Cup qualification push
Scotland currently sit second in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 standings behind the USA, making the Nepal tour an important stretch in their qualification campaign.
The 41-year-old, who represented Pakistan in 97 Tests and 53 ODIs between 2010 and 2022, is expected to bring batting expertise and international experience to a Scotland side aiming to strengthen its position ahead of next year’s global qualifier.
Explaining the decision to bring Azhar into the setup, Cricket Scotland Head of Performance Steve Snell said: “We’re always looking at ways to improve the support environment within our squads, and to have someone of Azhar’s calibre and experience of playing in Asia available to us for a short time is really exciting for everyone involved.”
Snell added: “He’s obviously attained a huge amount of international experience at the top level, and he’ll provide a different voice and squad dynamic for us during this important tour.”
Speaking about the role, Azhar highlighted his long-standing connection with Scottish cricket and his excitement about joining the squad.
“I am really looking forward to linking up with the Scotland team, especially since I have an association with Scottish cricket going back many years from my early playing days,” Azhar said.
“I’m excited to start working with what is clearly a talented team and looking forward to helping them to progress on this tour.”
First major role since leaving PCB
The Scotland assignment is one of Azhar’s first high-profile cricket roles since stepping down from his position at the Pakistan Cricket Board in November 2025, where he had served as selector and Head of Youth Development for 12 months.
His appointment also reflects the growing trend of Associate nations recruiting experienced former international players and administrators to strengthen high-performance programmes ahead of major ICC qualification events.
Scotland fixtures in Nepal
Scotland’s League 2 fixtures in Nepal will all be played at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur:
- May 12 – Scotland vs Nepal
- May 14 – Scotland vs USA
- May 18 – Scotland vs Nepal
- May 20 – Scotland vs USA
Scotland’s squad for the tour includes Richie Berrington, Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey and Safyaan Sharif among others, as they aim to continue their strong run in the competition.
