The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday that Jason Gillespie will serve as the interim coach for Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team on their upcoming tour of Australia. This decision followed Gary Kirsten’s resignation, which the PCB confirmed accepted the same day.
Breaking the news through their official X account, formerly known as Twitter, the PCB’s post read: “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.”
Gillespie, already the head coach for Pakistan’s red-ball team, now has the additional responsibility of leading the white-ball squad. This sudden shift comes amid rumors of a disagreement between Kirsten, Gillespie, and the PCB. Sources close to the matter say a rift emerged due to PCB’s decision to withdraw the coaches’ role in team selection, an area Kirsten reportedly felt strongly about.
The tension believed to stem from PCB’s recent restructuring, which formed a new selection committee involving notable names like Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, and Azhar Ali. This committee sidelined the coaches and captain in selection decisions, leading to frustration within the coaching ranks. Although Kirsten has stayed silent publicly, insiders hint that he felt sidelined, especially following the changes after Pakistan’s loss in the first Test against England.
Amid these changes, the PCB also named Mohammad Rizwan as the white-ball captain for the upcoming tours to Australia and Zimbabwe. With a fresh central contract list for the 2024-25 season, the board has included 25 players while letting go of seasoned players like Fakhar Zaman and Sarfaraz Ahmed. Reports suggest Kirsten had disagreements over the squad selections as well, which might have contributed to his sudden departure.
An official statement from the PCB regarding Kirsten’s resignation expected soon, clarifying what led to this abrupt coaching change just ahead of a major series.
 announced on Monday that Jason Gillespie will serve as the interim coach for Pakistan's white-ball cricket team on their upcoming tour of Australia. This decision followed Gary Kirsten’s resignation, which the PCB confirmed was accepted the same day.){kind=link}