The Pakistan cricket team is navigating a challenging period of internal restructuring despite their recent success in the Test series against England. Following the removal of top-order batter Fakhar Zaman, the latest shakeup involves the resignation of white-ball coach Gary Kirsten. The South African coach who joined in May has stepped down due to disagreements with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over coaching staff appointments and team selection influence.
As per reports, Gary Kirsten’s exit is rooted in a “difference of opinions” with the PCB, particularly surrounding the high-performance coach role. Kirsten had recommended David Reid for the position, a suggestion the PCB did not endorse, offering alternatives instead. This disagreement, alongside Kirsten’s reduced role in team selection, led the former World Cup-winning coach to submit his resignation. His tenure, although brief, included oversight of Pakistan’s underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign where losses to India and a narrow defeat to the USA prevented the team from advancing beyond the group stage.
The PCB acknowledged Kirsten’s resignation in an official statement, appointing Jason Gillespie as his successor for Pakistan’s upcoming white-ball tour of Australia. Gillespie, a former Australian fast bowler and the current Test coach, will now serve as Pakistan’s all-format coach. Having previously led Pakistan to a successful Test series win over England, Gillespie was chosen over Aaqib Javed, a prominent selector and a favored candidate among fans for the white-ball role.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced Jason Gillespie will coach the Pakistan men’s cricket team on next month’s white-ball tour of Australia after Gary Kirsten submitted his resignation, which was accepted,” the PCB confirmed.
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This coaching change follows another leadership adjustment with Mohammad Rizwan assuming captaincy for ODIs and T20Is. Babar Azam, Pakistan’s former white-ball captain, has opted to step back from these formats, marking a significant strategic shift ahead of the Australia tour.
The Pakistan squad comprising 15 players is set to arrive in Australia on October 30-31 ahead of the first ODI on November 4 in Melbourne. Australia will field a rotated squad, resting Test players in preparation for their five-match series against India.
With these leadership adjustments, Pakistan aims to stabilise its team dynamics and improve performance as they face a crucial series against Australia. The upcoming tour will reveal how effectively the team adapts to its new coaching and captaincy, setting the stage for their future white-ball campaigns.
