Pakistan’s white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has resigned six months ahead of schedule. Appointed in April 2024, Kirsten faced stiff challenges, most notably Pakistan’s early knock-out from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which increased the critical attention on his leadership role. Tensions with PCB over player selection and choice of team strategy are known to have contributed to Kirsten’s resignation.
Pakistan’s Test coach, Jason Gillespie, will take over the white-ball coaching role temporarily before Pakistan’s tour of Australia begins on November 4. Gillespie has already earned respect and confidence from guiding Pakistan to a historic home series victory against England. The PCB has also appointed Mohammad Rizwan as the new white-ball captain, replacing Babar Azam, in the changing leadership dynamics.
The three ODIs and three T20Is against Australia are going to play an important role in getting team morale back on track and fine-tuning performance. Matches against Zimbabwe in the limited-overs format after this tour will provide ample opportunities for the team to regain form. Fans wait for how Gillespie is going to adjust the strategy of the team and inspire players, and this can turn out to be a transformative period for Pakistan cricket.
