Pakistan Cricket Board has been under the scanners again after Gary Kirsten resigned from the men’s white-ball head coach position. There was some elation in the Pakistan cricket camp after the team registered a 2-1 series win over England at home, but it lasted only a few days as Kirsten dropped a bombshell and parted ways with the team. The PCB also accepted Kirsten’s resignation without making much fuss about it.
The 56-year-old South African, who coached India to victory at the 2011 ODI World, was appointed by the PCB at the end of April of this year. However, things didn’t turn out as planned for him as Pakistan were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the group stage.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has scathingly attacked PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi and claimed that Kirsten left the position because he raised his voice about something that was not going right.
“Mohsin Naqvi has come with a lot of power. The coaches, selectors and managers are being removed. Earlier, the chairman used to be changed from time to time. Now, whoever raises their voice will be sidelined,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
PCB, on Sunday, announced Mohammad Rizwan as their new white-ball captain after Babar Azam relinquished the position.
‘Gary Kirsten wanted a different captain’
Basit feels that Kirsten wanted a different captain in the white-ball team, but the PCB chief didn’t take his advice.
“The story started when Mohammad Rizwan was named Pakistan’s new white-ball captain. Kirsten wanted a different captain and demanded another player in the team. Coincidently, both of them are not in the team. He was thinking that maybe he could have full authority. However, he doesn’t know that in Pakistan, even the PCB chairman can get changed overnight,” he added.
The PCB announced on their social media channels that Test coach Jason Gillespie will be taking over Kirsten’s role for the Australia tour, which begins on November 4 and consists of three ODIs and three T20Is.
Gillespie, who joined as the red-ball coach at the same time as Kirsten, recently led the team to a historic Test series victory over England, Pakistan’s first at home since 2021.
