Former South Africa opening batter, Gary Kirsten, who also coached India during the 2011 World Cup triumph, recently stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball coach. Kirsten resigned just six months after he signed a two-year contract. The reactions keep coming in, to this development, and now former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has given his take, saying the unceremonious departure of Gary Kirsten has created “hodgepodge” in Pakistan cricket.
Gary Kirsten stepped down as the white-ball coach just a week before Pakistan’s upcoming white-ball series against Australia. The PCB has already announced that Test coach Jason Gillespie, will be taking over Kirsten’s role for the Australia series.
“It’s not good news because Pakistan needed an experienced hand like Gary Kirsten. I don’t have inside information, but from a distance, it doesn’t look great to lose your coach right before the start of a tour,” Ramiz Raja told reporters, as per Indian Express.
‘Backlash is inevitable’
Gary Kirsten’s stint just lasted six months, and did not even coach Pakistan for even a single ODI. Ramiz Raja now believes that the PCB will face significant challenges in recruiting international coaches in the future.
“Right now, there’s a hodgepodge in Pakistan cricket. The selection committee is nominating the playing XI. I’m not too sure if this happens anywhere else in the world,” Raja said.
“It’s not a straightforward situation because when someone like Gary Kirsten leaves the job, backlash is inevitable. People will speculate and want to know why he left. It’s not a great advertisement for Pakistan cricket. What you need is to ensure that, once you involve someone, you provide them with clarity regarding their role. I don’t know if that clarity was provided to Gary Kirsten. In the future, Pakistan may face challenges in hiring international talent due to Kirsten’s resignation. It’s not going to be an easy job to attract international coaches,” he added.
As per media reports in Pakistan, there was rift between Kirsten and the PCB after the board decided to strip the captain and the coach of selection powers.
Earlier, during the Test series against England, which Pakistan eventually won, Jason Gillespie had said that his role with Pakistan was now purely as a “match-day strategist.”
“I’m not a selector; I’m a match-day strategist as head coach. My focus is on the players, and I’ll let the selectors do their job. I’m getting splinters in my arse from sitting on the fence here,” Gillespie had said ahead of Pakistan’s third Test against England.
