Big blow to Pakistan ahead of Australia tour as Gary Kirsten quits as white-ball coach

Former South Africa cricketer and India’s ODI World Cup 2011-winning head coach Gary Kirsten’s tenure as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach has not been a fruitful one. Kirsten has seen more controversies than wins as Pakistan’s struggles continued. As a result, he has resigned as their white-ball coach ahead of the tour of Australia.  

As per reports, Kirsten has had differences of opinion with players. His request to rope in David Reid as their High Performance coach as not approved by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Instead, PCB presented a few alternatives which did not please Kirsten.

The main reason for Kirsten's probable exit is yet to be revealed. The news comes hours after PCB announced the ODI and T20I squads for Australia and Zimbabwe tours next month. The board named wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as the new captain after Babar Azam stepped down from the role. 

Kirsten’s disastrous start

His exit will be a big blow for Pakistan ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home. He joined the Pakistan team last year after fulifilling his duties at Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Gujarat Titans (GT). 

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His first assignment was the series against Jos Buttler-led England which Pakistan lost. It was followed by a disastrous T20 World Cup 2024 campaign where they were stunned by co-hosts USA and then beaten by eventual champions India. In aftermatch, Babar Azam relinquished captaincy in white-ball formats. 

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Pakistan have not played white-ball cricket since their exit from T20 World Cup 2024. The ODI and T20I series in Australia was crucial for them to prepare for Champions Trophy. 

Who will be Kirsten's successor?

PCB is left with two options as Champions Trophy is just a few months away. They may ask red-ball coach Jason Gillespie to take over white-ball coaching for a short term. The other option is former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed. The current national selector has been lauded for helping Pakistan end their drought of Test wins at home. As a result of recommendations to prepare a spin-friendly pitch, Shan Masood-led Pakistan beat England to win the series 2-1. In this case, Javed may be approached to coach the white-ball team.