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.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly decided to appoint wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket teams.

Sources said that Rizwan’s meeting with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has ended and the chief has decided to name the keeper as captain of the ODI and T20I teams.

The suggestion was made by head coach Gary Kirsten and the appointment was also supported by the selectors of the national cricket team, as per the insiders.

Meanwhile, the white-ball vice-captaincy of the national team will be handed over to Salman Ali Agha.

The development came after former captain Babar Azam stepped down as white-ball captain earlier this month citing that he wanted “to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy”.

As for the possible new skipper of the team, he is skilled and experienced in this department as he has led various teams in the domestic circuit of Pakistan as well as the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The wicketkeeper-batter was named captain of the franchise in 2021 and led his team to title victory by beating Peshawar Zalmi in the final of the PSL.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday announced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan as captain and batting all-rounder Agha Salman as the vice-captain of the cricket team for the white ball format.

Babar announced he was stepping down as Pakistan’s One-day Interna­tional and T20I skipper on October 2 in a post on his social media platform ‘X’ account, saying he wanted to focus on his playing role.

The national selection committee was tasked with finding the next white-ball captain following Azam’s resignation from the position.

While speaking to the media in Lahore, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced Rizwan and Salman as the captain and vice-captain of the cricket team for the one day international and T20 international, respectively.

Rizwan’s first assignment as the skipper will be a three-match one-day international (ODI) and T20I series against Australia commencing from November 4.

However, Agha will lead the T20I side in Zimbabwe as Rizwan is rested under a workload management plan, stated a press release issued by the cricket governing body.

Earlier in the day, the cricket board had announced their squad for the upcoming matches against Australia and Zimbabwe.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PC) has proposed that the Indian team may return to their country after each match to minimise their stay in Pakistan during the Champions Trophy 2025.

The board, owing to security concerns, has suggested that the Men in Blue’s return to Chandigarh or New Delhi after each match in the mega tournament set to be hosted by Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, 2025.

The development comes due to uncertainty over India’s participation in the tournament, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeks the Indian government’s approval to visit the country for the mega tournament.

In light of the fact that the neighbouring country’s cricket team have not travelled to Pakistan since 2008. The arch-rivals have also not had any bilateral series since 2012-13.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to feature eight elite teams including India, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, based on their performances in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Three venues — Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore — will host the matches of eight teams and according to PCB’s proposed schedule to ICC, all of India’s matches will take place in Lahore.

The PCB has reassured the BCCI of its commitment to providing every possible comfort and security to the Indian team, offering flexible arrangements to ensure their involvement in the highly anticipated event.

Initially, all of India’s matches were scheduled to take place in Lahore for convenience and ease of access for the Indian team and their fans.

However, recent proposals suggest that one of India’s group-stage matches — potentially against New Zealand — might be shifted to Rawalpindi.

This adjustment was suggested by broadcasters, who recommended distributing India’s matches between Lahore and Rawalpindi to enhance broadcast reach and fan engagement.

Prioritising the comfort and security of the Indian team, the board has indicated that they are open to accommodating this change and has expressed its willingness to provide top-notch facilities and ensure a smooth stay, regardless of the venue.

There is also a ten-day gap between India’s second and third group matches, offering the Indian team the option to return to India for training or rest during the interim period, with the PCB facilitating seamless travel logistics.

In their communication with the BCCI, the PCB emphasised that the proposal for India to return home between matches was not driven by security concerns but aimed at providing comfort to the Indian players.

The PCB reiterated its readiness to ensure excellent hospitality, whether India chooses to play all their matches in Lahore or prefers a venue change to Rawalpindi.

The close proximity of Lahore to the Indian border makes it a strategic location for India’s matches, while Rawalpindi, another city in Punjab province, remains a feasible alternative.

India is placed in Group A alongside host Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand.