Gary Kirsten walks away from role as Pakistan’s white-ball coach after citing multiple between him and the selection committee.
Gary Kirsten has resigned as the head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I sides with immediate effect.
Just six months after being hired by the PCB on a two-year deal in April 2024, Kirsten resigned just one week before Pakistan’s ODI series in Australia got underway.
The PCB declared that Jason Gillespie, the Test coach, will take Kirsten’s place during the six white-ball matches on the Australian tour.
Since the PCB opted to deprive Pakistan’s recently hired coaches, Kirsten and Gillespie, of selection authority, leaving that power solely in the hands of a selection committee they would no longer serve on, a gulf had been growing between the two parties. In the lead-up to the third Test match against England in Rawalpindi, Gillespie had made little attempt to hide his amazement at what had happened. He claims that “it wasn’t what I signed up for” and that he was now only a “match-day analyst.”
Although Kirsten remained silent, it was assumed that she was unhappy with the previous events. The board’s heated debates over Kirsten’s desire to have his opinion taken into account contributed to the delay in naming a team and a new limited-overs captain.
However, board chairman Mohsin Naqvi was ultimately joined by the new captain and vice-captain, Salman Agha. And Aaqib Javed, a member of the new selection committee. The new captain, Muhammad Rizwan, was revealed during a news conference in Lahore. At the time, Kirsten wasn’t even in the nation.
The present selection committee’s growing prominence has made the coaches feel marginalised. A new selection panel, the third in three months, was announced following Pakistan’s defeat in the opening Test match against England. As the coaches and captain were removed, Aaqib, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Hassan Cheema were on it.
Even for Pakistan cricket, Kirsten’s departure and the rate at which things have fallen apart are nothing short of spectacular. For starters, Kirsten leaves his position without having led Pakistan in an ODI. It is the format in which he had the most coaching success.
The T20 World Cup in the USA was Kirsten’s first significant competition. It was an unlucky start to his coaching career. Pakistan’s early exit from a T20 World Cup occurred as a result of losses to the United States and India. The team was eliminated in the first round after three games. A few months later, Babar Azam resigned as white-ball captain for the second time. However, it was thought at the time that Kirsten needed time to establish himself and build a team. Especially since Pakistan would be hosting the first ICC event in almost thirty years in early 2025. The home ICC Champions Trophy.