Gary Kirsten Resigns As Pakistan's White-Ball Cricket Coach

Gary Kirsten has resigned as the head coach of Pakistan's ODI and T20I side after six months in the role. The former South African batter and coach has stepped down hardly a week before the team's ODI series begins in Australia.

Gary Kirsten, who guided team India to a 50-over World Cup win in 2011, was appointed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on a two-year contract in April 2024. Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s Test team coach, will fill Kirsten's role on the tour of Australia. Gillespie recently led the team to a historic Test series victory over England. "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," PCB wrote in a post on X on Monday.

The appointments of Gary Kirsten and Gillespie were touted as a promising move, and both were reassured of wide-ranging influence in the selection and running of their respective squads. However, the high-profile coaches’ roles as selectors were revoked in recent weeks as the PCB hired a new-look selection committee, reported Al Jazeera. Also, both Kirsten and Gillespie were removed from the selection panel, which chose the squad for Pakistan’s second and third Test matches against England.