In a new drama in Pakistan cricket, Gary Kirsten has stepped down from his position as the white-ball head coach ahead of the crucial series against Australia. His resignation didn’t come entirely out of the blue—rumors about growing tension within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were swirling.
Kirsten was brought in back in April on a two-year contract, part of a major reshuffling that brought Jason Gillespie on board as the red-ball coach. And now? The white-ball position is vacant once again, with Pakistan scrambling for a replacement as a tour of Australia looms large.
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A Rift Brewing in the Background
To understand Kirsten’s sudden exit, it helps to go back to the selection committee shake-up that happened just a few weeks ago. The PCB decided to strip the head coaches and captains of selection powers, leaving those decisions to a new selection committee.
Previously, the head coach and captain held a vote on selection matters—making them a crucial part of shaping the squads they’d be leading.
Gary Kirsten, like any seasoned coach, likely expected to have a say in squad decisions. But with that authority gone, he seemed to feel he was brought in under one set of terms only for the PCB to change the rules mid-game.
Reports suggest he was deeply disappointed with the change, especially considering his interest in the upcoming captaincy selection.
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Tenure of Gary Kirsten
Kirsten’s stint was brief but far from uneventful. Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign in the USA was the first major test, and it turned out to be a tough one. Losses to both the USA and India led to an early exit, marking Pakistan’s shortest T20 World Cup run in history.
Fans were understandably frustrated, but insiders felt Kirsten just needed time to mold the team. After all, there was a home Champions Trophy on the horizon, an ICC event that Pakistan hadn’t hosted in nearly three decades, and Kirsten was expected to have a central role in preparing the squad for that milestone tournament.
But with just a few months to establish his vision, Kirsten didn’t have much room to make an impact. By the time the new ODI captain, Mohammad Rizwan, was announced at a press conference in Lahore, Kirsten was already on the way out.
Pakistan is set to tour Australia in just six days, with the first ODI scheduled for November 4 in Melbourne. The clock is ticking, and there’s no clear replacement for Kirsten yet. Given the PCB’s rocky history with coaches and the growing internal tensions, whoever steps in next will undoubtedly have their work cut out for them.
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