Former South Africa batter Gary Kirsten has resigned as the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan cricket team, sources revealed.
Kirsten was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in April 2024 for a two-year period. However, he has stepped down from the role after a meagre six months.
The South African took charge during Pakistan’s four-match T20I series against England in the lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
During his tenure as the white-ball head coach, Pakistan lost the series against England and were knocked out of the T20 World Cup from the group stage.
The sources revealed that Kirsten’s resignation came in the wake of his disagreements with the cricket board over central contracts and white-ball squads for the upcoming tour of Australia and Zimbabwe.
It’s worth noting that previously head coach and captain of the respective formats were part of the selection committee as voting members.
However, following Pakistan’s heavy defeat in the first Test against England, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) overhauled the selection committee, removing the captain and coach from the selection process, which did not sit well with Gary Kirsten.
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Moreover, the PCB announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe. The reports suggest that Kirsten expressed his disagreements over the squads.
The cricket board also appointed wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as the captain for Pakistan’s white-ball team ahead of the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from 24 November to 5 December.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the vice-captain and will lead the team in Rizwan’s absence during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour
ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
T20I SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe Tour
ODI SQUAD: Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir
T20I SQUAD: Salman Ali Agha (c), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan
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