By Priscilla Jepchumba
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Jason Gillespie, the current Test team coach, will take over as the interim head coach for the upcoming white-ball tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
The PCB confirmed Kirsten’s exit, saying his resignation was accepted, while Gillespie was given the charge of the forthcoming assignments against Australia and Zimbabwe.
“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,” Pakistan Cricket said.
The PCB’s new selection committee, which excluded both Kirsten and Gillespie from the decision-making process, further exacerbated the situation.
Kirsten’s resignation marks a disappointing end to a short tenure as Pakistan’s white-ball coach. Despite his impressive track record, he was unable to turn the team’s fortunes around and faced increasing pressure from the PCB.
Gillespie’s appointment comes on a temporary basis, while a new full-time head coach for white-ball cricket will be announced in due time.
Gary Kirsten’s resignation comes only after barely six months into his appointment as head coach for the Pakistan cricket team
Kirsten’s tenure with the Men in Green lasted for just six months after his appointment in April 2024. During his stint, Pakistan had a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup in the USA, where the team faced an early exit after losses to the USA and India in the first round.
Apart from change in the coaching setup the side also sees a leadership development, as Mohammad Rizwan was earlier appointed as the new white-ball captain, replacing Babar Azam who stepped down following recent poor performances.
Meanwhile, the upcoming tour of Australia consists of three ODIs and three T20Is across major Australian venues.
The series kicks off with the first ODI at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 4, followed by matches in Adelaide (November 8) and Perth (November 10).
The T20I series will then move through Brisbane (November 14), Sydney (November 16), and conclude in Hobart (November 18).
This tour will see the return of Men in Green in a 50-over format since their World Cup campaign in India a year ago and is a crucial phase leading up to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
