Pakistan cricket is never one to shy away from giving the cricketing firmament headline-worthy stories but has seemingly outdone itself with the announcement that Gary Kirsten has resigned as the team’s white-ball head coach.
The revelation was shocking but seemingly expected after the recent revamp inside the Pakistan Cricket Board. With Aqib Javed firmly established as the point person overseeing all cricketing matters, the roles of test coach Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten became clouded. PCB had wooed the two with promises of being more than coaches.
They were supposed to have a say in team selection, control over the playing XI, pitch preparations, and match day strategy inter-alia. Everything, except the last clause, has now been taken away.
While Gillespie was satisfied with the role change, albeit reluctantly, Gary Kirsten has chosen a different path and decided to walk away from the team altogether after just 4 months in the role.
The South African was reportedly unhappy with the teams chosen for the upcoming series against Australia which powers of deduction merit were selected without his input. PCB also reportedly refused to appoint his handpicked personnel in key roles leading to further friction while his challenge to his own players for a “modern” form of cricket failed to materialize as well.
He was supposed to usher in a new era of Pakistan cricket as the team looked for a steady hand at the top after trying Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Rehman (interim), Grant Bradburn, Mohammad Hafeez, and Azhar Mehmood in the roles.
The South African took charge of Pakistan for the T20 World Cup campaign which ended in a disaster. Losses to India and the lowly USA raised doubts over his credentials after just two games into his tenure. The chaos proved to be a primer for his time with the national side as he left without a chance at redemption.
Pakistan is likely to name a new coach soon with Aqib Javed a name under consideration while Jason Gillespie remains a candidate as well. With the tour of Australia next up and a Champions Trophy next year, PCB will need to be swift in the appointment.
Kirsten, meanwhile, will be fine. Having guided India to a World Cup and having appointments with different franchises across the world, he is unlikely to lose any sleep over his resignation.
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