Kirsten to resign as Pakistan’s ODI and T20I coach
According to ESPNcricinfo, tensions had been brewing between Pakistan’s newly-appointed coaches—Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, who coaches the Test side—and the PCB, after the board stripped the coaches of selection powers, placing full authority with a selection committee they were no longer part of.
Former South Africa international Gary Kirsten has resigned as head coach of Pakistan's ODI and T20I sides just six months into his two-year contract, according to multiple media reports.
Kirsten, appointed in April 2024, stepped down just a day after Mohammad Rizwan was named Pakistan's white-ball captain and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced new central contracts.
According to ESPNcricinfo, tensions had been brewing between Pakistan's newly-appointed coaches—Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, who coaches the Test side—and the PCB, after the board stripped the coaches of selection powers, placing full authority with a selection committee they were no longer part of.
Following Pakistan's loss in the first Test against England, a new selection panel—the third in three months—was announced. It included Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Hassan Cheema, while the coaches and captain were removed from the selection process.
Gillespie expressed his surprise ahead of the third Test in Rawalpindi against England, saying he now functioned as merely a "match-day analyst" and that "it wasn't what he signed up for."
While Kirsten made no public statement, it is understood he was disappointed with the developments.