Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi unveiled the appointment of South Africa’s Gary Kirsten and Australia’s Jason Gillespie as coaches for the men’s national team during a press briefing in Lahore on Sunday.
Naqvi outlined that Kirsten will take on the role of the team’s white-ball coach, while Gillespie will assume the responsibilities for the red-ball format. Azhar Mahmood, former cricketer and recently the head coach for the T20I series against New Zealand, will serve as assistant coach for both formats.
These appointments are for a duration of two years, according to Naqvi. He commended Kirsten and Gillespie for their impressive track records and expressed confidence in their ability to guide the players towards greater success.
The vacancies arose after the reassignment of Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn, and Andrew Puttick to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore in November 2023. They officially stepped down from their positions in January of the following year.
Naqvi disclosed that Kirsten will join the team during their tour of England, while Gillespie will commence his duties during the Bangladesh series.
Responding to inquiries regarding the preference for foreign coaches despite potential language barriers, Naqvi emphasized the objective of enhancing the team’s performance and stated that players would adapt to communicate effectively.
Regarding the team’s leadership, Naqvi affirmed Babar Azam’s continuation as captain until the Champions Trophy 2025, to be hosted by Pakistan. He mentioned that the tournament schedule has been forwarded to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
On the issue of Ishanullah’s elbow injury, Naqvi refrained from commenting, awaiting the medical report due by Tuesday. He assured that appropriate action would be taken against any negligence discovered.
