Credits: X
In past few weeks, there have been major changes happening in Pakistan cricket. In a major development, white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has officially resigned from the coach position. Kirsten was appointed as a coach six months ago in April, thanks to his stellar record, which includes India's 2011 ODI World Cup victory at home. Pakistan was looking forward for success in upcoming series.
Jason Gillespie, the red-ball coach for Pakistan, will take over as coach of the limited-overs team following Kirsten's resignation. Watching this development, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen criticized PCB, calling Kirsten's departure "two steps back" after "one step forward" in his commentary on the matter. “How can Pakistan Cricket lose Gary Kirsten’s with his resume in coaching? One step forward in the last few weeks and two steps back today! Stop doing it to yourselves. Too much talent to keep doing this kind of stuff!” Pietersen posted on his official X account.
Total Incompetence: Mohammad Hafeez calls out PCB
Following the official announcement of Gary Kirsten's resignation as white-ball coach, former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez criticized the PCB, stating, "Total Incompetence #Chaos." It is important to note that Gary Kirsten was the eighth individual to claim the position of coach for the Pakistan men's cricket team after August 2021. Additionally, the board has had four distinct chairmanships since 2021: Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf, and Naqvi.
Over the past 12 months, 28 members and six different head selectors have chosen teams for Pakistan's men's cricket squad. Shaheen Shah Afridi in the white-ball format and Shan Masood in the red-ball format succeeded Babar Azam as captain of all formats until the 2023 ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, Babar Azam was replaced by veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan for the upcoming three-match ODI and T20I series against Australia.
The 50-over series between the Pak and Australia will take place in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth on November 4, 8, and 10 and consist of three ODIs and three T20I matches. Following the ODIs, the two teams will play T20Is, which are set for November 14, 16, and 18 in Brisbane, Sydney, and Hobart, respectively.
