Australia’s Shane McDermott has stepped down as Pakistan’s all-format fielding coach, leaving the PCB scrambling for a replacement just days before the team departs for a grueling five-Test schedule across the Caribbean and England.
Pakistan’s fielding coach Shane McDermott has resigned from his position at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a move that has caught the cricketing setup off guard. McDermott, who is currently in Australia, was appointed as Pakistan’s all-format fielding coach a year ago and was scheduled to be part of the support staff for the Asian Games in September.
No official reason for the resignation has been made public, though reports suggest personal domestic commitments were behind the decision. The timing could hardly be worse for Pakistan, who are due to depart later this week for a four-day warm-up match in the Caribbean ahead of a two-match Test series against the West Indies starting July 25.
A Departure That Nobody Saw Coming
McDermott’s resignation is understood to have come as a genuine surprise within the PCB. The Australian specialist had been an integral part of white-ball head coach Mike Hesson’s support staff and had Hesson’s personal backing when he was appointed in mid-2025.
His first assignment with Pakistan was the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in July 2025, where he replaced former fielding coach Mohammad Masroor. Since then, McDermott had been credited with bringing a renewed focus to Pakistan’s fielding department, particularly through higher-intensity drills during training sessions and an emphasis on sharper catching and ground-level athleticism.
While Pakistan’s fielding standards never reached the heights they managed under Steve Rixon’s celebrated coaching stint in an earlier era, McDermott’s presence had at least brought structure and consistency to a department that has historically been one of Pakistan cricket’s weakest links.
PCB Left Without a Replacement
The PCB has not yet named a replacement, and the immediate challenge is stark. Pakistan faces a punishing overseas schedule that will test every aspect of their cricket, especially in the field.
The team is set to play a two-match Test series against the West Indies from July 25 to August 6, with the first Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, and the second at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. Immediately after the Caribbean leg, Pakistan travels to England for a three-match Test series from August 19 to September 13, with matches scheduled at Headingley in Leeds, Lord’s in London, and Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Five Tests in foreign conditions within two months is a daunting prospect for any team. Doing so without a specialist fielding coach, at a time when the team is undergoing significant changes, adds a layer of instability the PCB could have done without.
A Team Already in Transition
McDermott’s departure adds to an already turbulent period for Pakistan cricket. The PCB recently reappointed Babar Azam as Test captain, replacing Shan Masood after a dismal run of 12 defeats in 16 Tests under his leadership. Pakistan currently sit ninth in the World Test Championship standings after a 2-0 series loss to Bangladesh in May.
The selectors have also made bold squad decisions for the upcoming tours. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s premier fast bowler and ODI captain, was dropped from the Test squads for both series. Hasan Ali and veteran spinner Noman Ali were also left out. In their place, four uncapped players, including left-arm spinner Ali Usman, batter Muhammad Awais Zafar, fast bowler Ubaid Shah (younger brother of Naseem Shah), and wicketkeeper Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, have been called up.
Saud Shakeel’s inclusion in the England squad is subject to fitness, adding further uncertainty to the batting lineup. The Pakistan Test squad is in a phase of significant regeneration, and the loss of a coaching staff member at this juncture only complicates the rebuilding process.
McDermott’s Coaching Background
McDermott brought a wealth of international experience to the Pakistan setup. The 44-year-old holds a High Performance Level Three Coaching Certificate and built his reputation through a diverse range of coaching appointments across multiple countries.
He spent seven years at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, where he held positions ranging from National A Team Analyst to Interim Assistant Coach and Fielding Coach. He then served as Assistant Fielding Coach with Bangladesh’s national team for three years between 2020 and 2023, before moving to Sri Lanka where he spent another three years as the senior team fielding coach while also leading the Sri Lanka A program. His most recent assignment before joining Pakistan was with Afghanistan.
His connection to the Pakistan setup came through Hesson, who had worked closely with McDermott during previous coaching assignments and vouched for his appointment. With Hesson overseeing Pakistan’s white-ball operations, McDermott’s departure removes a key piece of the coaching infrastructure that the New Zealander had helped build.
Pakistan’s Fielding Problem: A Recurring Theme
Pakistan’s struggles in the field are well documented and long-standing. Dropped catches, misfields, and poor ground fielding have cost the team crucial matches across all three formats for years, and the revolving door of fielding coaches at the PCB reflects the difficulty of fixing a systemic issue.
Mohammad Masroor, McDermott’s predecessor, was hired on a series-to-series basis and departed after failing to produce a sustained improvement. Before him, multiple specialists cycled through the role without making a lasting impact. The only exception in recent memory was Steve Rixon’s tenure, during which Pakistan’s fielding was transformed into a genuine strength. But that standard has never been replicated.
McDermott’s resignation means the PCB must now find someone who can step in at short notice and work with a squad that is already dealing with a new captain, a reshuffled lineup, and the demands of back-to-back overseas Test assignments.
What Happens Next
The PCB will need to act quickly. With the warm-up match in the West Indies starting on July 18, there are barely days to identify and install a replacement. Whether the board promotes someone from within the existing support staff on an interim basis or fast-tracks an external appointment remains to be seen.
For Pakistan’s players, the immediate task is clear: adapt, perform, and make the best of a difficult situation. The upcoming tours against West Indies and England will define the early stages of Babar Azam’s second stint as Test captain and could shape the direction of Pakistan cricket for the next World Test Championship cycle.
McDermott’s quiet exit from the Pakistan setup may not generate the same headlines as a captaincy change or a marquee player being dropped, but its impact could be just as significant. In a sport where catching wins matches, Pakistan can ill afford to go into their biggest overseas assignment of the year without a specialist in the coaching box dedicated to ensuring they hold on to the chances that come their way.
This is a developing story. CricketVoices will update this article as the PCB confirms further details regarding McDermott’s replacement.
