Gary Kirsten Resigns As Head Coach; Pakistan Announces Appointment Of New Head Coach

After working in his role as Pakistan men’s ODI and T20I head coach for six months, head coach Gary Kirsten has stepped down.

Hyderabad: Ahead of Pakistan’s white-ball tour of Australia, Former World Cup-winning coach Gary Kisten has resigned from his job. The South African was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on a two-year contract in April 2024. The PCB announced on their social media handles that former Australian cricketer Jason Gillespie will be replacing Kirsten in the role. His stint will resume from the Australia tour which begins on November 4.

Gillespie recently led Pakistan’s Test side and led the team to a historic series win over England as it was their first series win at home since 2021. After taking over the role of the head coach. Kirsten’s first major assignment was the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. Pakistan suffered an early exit from the tournament with the defeats against India and the USA.

Pakistan will be hosting an ICC event, ICC Champions Trophy 2025, after nearly three decades. The first batch of players will depart for Melbourne on October 28 while the rest of the squad will follow them on October 29. After the Australia tour, Pakistan will travel to Zimbabwe for another white-ball series.

According to some media reports, Kirsten was in disagreement with the PCB over over selection of the team and announcement of the squad for the upcoming series against Australia and Zimbabwe. The rift widened eventually and so the former South African cricketer decided to part ways with the national squad.