The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Jason Gillespie, previously the Test team coach, as the interim head coach for Pakistan’s white-ball squad. Gillespie’s temporary role covers the limited-overs series against Australia and Zimbabwe, with the board aiming to announce a permanent coach in the coming weeks. This change follows Gary Kirsten’s unexpected resignation, which the PCB confirmed via a statement on their official X account (formerly Twitter).
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The board’s announcement read: “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.”
Kirsten, celebrated for leading India to the 2011 ODI World Cup victory, had been contracted as Pakistan’s white-ball coach for two years. However, after just six months, his tenure ended amid growing friction with the PCB. Kirsten’s resignation comes shortly after Pakistan’s early exit in the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which had sparked internal discussions within the PCB regarding his performance.
Reports indicate that Kirsten disagreed with the PCB on several critical team decisions, especially concerning squad selection for upcoming series. Sources suggest that the board largely disregarded his recommendations, a situation similar to previous tensions between the PCB and team management. Another source shared, “PCB used the same approach when its new selection committee denied and ignored Test coach Jason Gillespie and captain Shan Masood from having a say in team selection.”
While Gillespie has decided to continue his duties, Kirsten opted to step down, leaving Pakistan’s management to search for a permanent head coach to guide their limited-overs squad.
Tags – PCB, Jason Gillespie, Gary Kirsten,
