Pakistan’s Former Coach Open to Returning on One Condition

Pakistan leaves a lasting impression on any visitor, and that seems to be the case with cricket players as well after Gary Kirsten expressed his desire to return as a coach in the future if certain conditions are met.

In a revealing interview on the Wisden Cricket Patreon podcast, the former white-ball coach revealed that a return to the country is not out of the question just yet. Kirsten, who stepped down after just half a year in charge, said his decision wasn’t personal. Rather, it was the working environment, riddled with external interference and stripped-down authority, that made his role untenable.

He hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a return if things change in the future. “If I got invited back to Pakistan tomorrow, I would go, but I would want to go for the players, and I would want to go under the right circumstances,” Gary Kirsten stated.

The 56-year-old emphasized the importance of cricket decisions being made by those within the game—not by outside influences.

“Cricket teams need to be run by cricket people. When that’s not happening and when there’s a lot of noise from the outside—that’s very influential noise—it’s very difficult for leaders within the team to walk a journey that you feel like you need to walk in order to take this team to where it needs to go.”

Gary Kirsten made it clear he’s not interested in political agendas or distractions when choosing coaching roles.

“I’m too old now to be dealing with other agendas. I just want to coach a cricket team, work with the players—I love the Pakistan players, they’re great guys. I had a very short period of time with them and I feel for them. More than any other team in the world, they feel the pressure of performance massively. When they lose, it’s hectic for them and they feel that.”

While Gary Kirsten may be willing to return, he might have to wait a while as Pakistan has since appointed Mike Hesson as their white-ball head coach, and the results seem to be promising. Whether Kirsten finds his way back into the Pakistan setup remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that he remains one of the most respected coaches in the cricketing world.