NEW DELHI: Former South Africa opener Gary Kirsten, who famously coached India to their 2011 World Cup win, stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball coach just six months into a two-year contract. Kirsten’s unexpected resignation drew criticism from former cricketers, with many calling out the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the situation.
Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja expressed disappointment, describing Kirsten’s abrupt departure as creating “hodgepodge” in Pakistan cricket.
Kirsten resigned just a week before Pakistan’s upcoming white-ball series against Australia, leading the PCB to appoint Test coach Jason Gillespie as a replacement.
“It’s not good news because Pakistan needed an experienced hand like Gary Kirsten. I don’t have inside information, but from a distance, it doesn’t look great to lose your coach right before the start of a tour,” Ramiz said.
“Right now, there’s a hodgepodge in Pakistan cricket. The selection committee is nominating the playing XI. I’m not too sure if this happens anywhere else in the world,” Ramiz said.
“It’s not a straightforward situation because when someone like Gary Kirsten leaves the job, backlash is inevitable. People will speculate and want to know why he left. It’s not a great advertisement for Pakistan cricket. What you need is to ensure that, once you involve someone, you provide them with clarity regarding their role. I don’t know if that clarity was provided to Gary Kirsten. In the future, Pakistan may face challenges in hiring international talent due to Kirsten’s resignation. It’s not going to be an easy job to attract international coaches,” he added.
Pakistan recently secured a 2-1 Test series win against England and is set to face Australia in three ODIs and three T20Is, beginning November 4.
The ODIs will be held in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, with Brisbane, Sydney, and Hobart hosting the T20Is.
