Gary Kirsten, the former South Africa opener, and former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie will join the Pakistan team as their white-ball and Test team head coach respectively. This announcement was made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
The statement at the PCB offices in Lahore comes after months of instability at the board, during which the coaching staff, captains, and management all changed after Pakistan finished fifth at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, failing to advance to the semifinals.
Grant Bradburn resigned as Pakistan’s head coach in January, two months after the World Cup, and team director Mickey Arthur and batting coach Andrew Puttick followed suit shortly after.
Following the squad’s disappointing tour of Australia and New Zealand, former Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez took over as head coach and team director, replacing Bradburn and Arthur. Pakistan lost the Test series 3-0 against world champions Australia, and the T20 series 4-1 to New Zealand.
Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie, and Azhar Mahmood to be the coaching staff for the Pakistan team
Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), selected Gary Kirsten, a former South African cricketer, as the national cricket team’s white-ball coach.
During a press conference flanked by PCB COO Salman Naseer and former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, Naqvi introduced former Australian cricketer Jason Gillespie as Pakistan’s red-ball coach.
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 28, 2024
The 56-year-old former South Africa top-order batter played 101 Tests and 185 ODIs from 1993-2004 in which he accumulated 14,087 runs with 34 centuries. On the other hand, the 49-year-old former Australia fast bowler played 71 Tests, 97 ODIs, and 1 T20I from 1996-2006, taking 402 wickets and accumulating 1,531 runs.
Kirsten will take over the team immediately after completing his assignment in the Indian Premier League. During his tenure, in addition to the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will lead the team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
Gillespie will take charge of the ICC World Test Championship games against Bangladesh (at home in August), followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season.
