Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten on Monday stepped down from his position as head coach of Pakistan’s men’s ODI and T20I teams, only six months after his appointment. This decision comes a week before the team is scheduled to tour Australia for white-ball matches.
Kirsten was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on a two-year contract in April 2024.
Jason Gillespie, currently the Test coach of the ‘Men in Green,’ will fill Kirsten’s shoes for the Australia tour starting on November 4, which will include three ODIs and three T20Is, the PCB said in a post on X.
Gillespie, who joined as the red-ball coach along with Kirsten, recently led the team to a remarkable Test series victory over England, Pakistan’s first at home since 2021.
Kirsten’s major assignment after taking over the head coach role was the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA, where Pakistan suffered an early exit in the group stage, losing to India and the USA. The team is currently preparing for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the first ICC event that Pakistan will host in nearly three decades.
The first batch of players will depart for Melbourne on October 28, with the rest of the squad following on October 29. After the Australia tour, Pakistan will travel to Zimbabwe for another white-ball series.
(ANI)
