Gary Kirsten resigns as Pakistan's white-ball coach: Controversy with PCB revealed

Gary Kirsten resigned on Friday as head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams, just six months into his two-year contract with the PCB. This will come a week before the ODI series between Pakistan and Australia, for which Test coach Jason Gillespie has been appointed as interim coach to lead the side through six white-ball matches.

It is said to have also created tensions between Kirsten, Gillespie and the PCB as a result of the board eliminating coaches from the selection process and all selection power has been given to a newly formed committee. Kirsten who took India to an ODI World Cup triumph in 2011 is said to have not been pleased with this development as it was done especially without consideration for him as well during the appointment of Mohammad Rizwan as Pakistan’s new white-ball captain. When the news came, board chairman Mohsin Naqvi stood alongside selection committee members Aaqib Javed and Rizwan, but Kirsten was not even in the country.

Gary Kirsten resigns, Jason Gillespie not happy with maltreatment

As Gary Kirsten resigns, it speaks to recent management struggles in Pakistan cricket. Gillespie was loudly critical of the PCB, saying he felt to be just a “match-day analyst.” This comes at a time when for two successive times the selection committee was changed and among the fresh members were Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Hassan Cheema. Rizwan calls the present style of play “Aaqib-ball” and this time a jab at Aaqib Javed as if being a public face is attached to the selection as well.

The timing marks a jolt for Pakistan as they find out that Kirsten has resigned without having covered an ODI match when his notable success was during ODIs. His little stint saw the early exit from the T20 World Cup by surprising the cricket world with losses inflicted upon the USA and India on consecutive days. Despite the failure in the initial stage, Kirsten was to be part of a strong team that would host the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan in 2025.

Before the series against Australia, Pakistan are still unaware of who would take Kirsten’s place. Meanwhile, Gillespie would remain the head coach and Pakistan would begin its ODI series against Australia on November 4 in Melbourne.