PCB appoints Kirsten, Gillespie as men’s white, red-ball coaches

LAHORE: the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced the board’s decision to bring in South Africa’s Gary Kirsten and Australia’s Jason Gillespie as the coaches for the men’s national side.

Addressing a press conference, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said Kirsten was being appointed as the national side’s white-ball coach, while Gillespie is being given the role of the team’s red-ball coach.

Furthermore, former cricketer Azhar Mahmood, who was appointed as the team’s head coach for the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand, will assume responsibilities as assistant coach for both formats, Naqvi added.

The coaches’ appointment, as per the PCB chief, was for a period of two years.Praising Kirsten and Gillespie for their impressive record, Naqvi expressed confidence that the duo’s expertise will guide the players to new heights, saying their appointment presents a remarkable opportunity for Pakistani players to glean insights from these seasoned professionals, refining their skills and fortify their cricketing acumen.

The development comes after the said posts were left vacant after Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick were transferred to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore after a change in their portfolios in November 2023 following a change in PCB setup.

The trio left their respective positions in January this year.Commenting on the timeline when the new coaches will join the team, the PCB chairman revealed that Kirsten would join the Green Shirts on the England tour, whereas Gillespie will join the team in the Bangladesh series.

Responding to a question as to why the board didn’t prefer local coaches due to the language barrier, Naqvi said if a player did not know English, he would learn it and that purpose of bringing foreign coaches was to improve the team.

On the issue of future of the team’s leadership, the PCB chief confirmed that Babar Azam will continue to fulfil his responsibilities as the national side skipper till the Champions Trophy 2025 which is set to be hosted by Pakistan.

He also revealed that the schedule of the Champions Trophy had already been sent to the International Cricket Council (ICC).Kirsten represented South Africa in 101 Tests and 185 ODIs from 1993-2004, where he accumulated 14,087 runs with 34 centuries. On his appointment, he said his goal as the team’s white-ball coach would be to ensure the team operates at its optimal level.

“My goal is to unite the Pakistan men’s white-ball team, harnessing their considerable talents towards a common objective, and achieving success together on the field,” he said.Gillespie, an ex-Australian fast bowler, played 71 Tests, 97 ODIs and one T20I from 1996-2006 wherein he bagged a total of 402 wickets. He was part of the Australia squad that won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003. Commenting on his role with the Green Shirts, the Aussie underscored that the national side’s number of high-quality fast bowlers and their utilisation would be a key to the team’s success.

“I also love the fact that there is so much talent in Pakistan. I like to think that I can help in some way to grow and develop the players. I want to win Tests [and] that is why I am taking this role,” he said.