PCB Appoints Gary Kirsten as Head Coach for ODIs and T20Is, Jason Gillespie for Tests

In a major shake-up in the Pakistan cricket team’s coaching staff, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the head coach for ODIs and T20Is, while former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie will take over the role for Test cricket. Additionally, former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood was appointed as the assistant coach across all formats.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi expressed his excitement about the high-profile appointments, stating, “The appointment of Kirsten and Gillespie shows how much value is given to the Pakistan cricket team and how much potential foreign coaches see in our players. We want to give the team the best facilities and that is why we have gone for Kirsten and Gillespie.”

Kirsten is set to take over the coaching duties from Pakistan’s tour of England in May, which includes four T20Is, leading up to the T20 World Cup in June. The team has been without a full-time head coach since the disappointing performance in the 50-over World Cup last year.

After the World Cup debacle, Pakistan made significant changes to their coaching staff and leadership, with Babar Azam being removed as captain and Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood taking over the leadership roles in white-ball and Test cricket respectively. Despite approaching top names like Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson, the PCB ultimately decided on Kirsten and Gillespie for the coaching positions.

Naqvi highlighted the importance of bringing in foreign expertise, stating, “There’s a lot of talent in our country, but we need to address fitness issues. Closing our options to get the best from outside our country may not yield the best results for us.”

With the new coaching setup in place, Pakistan will be looking to make a fresh start and improve their performances in international cricket under the guidance of Kirsten, Gillespie, and Mahmood.