PCB names Kirsten, Gillespie as head coaches for national white ball and red ball squads

By Muhammad Ali

 LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday named former South Africa batsman Gary Kirsten and former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie as head coaches of the national white-ball and red ball teams, respectively. Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood will assist both head coaches as all three have signed two-year deals. “They’re both very famous coaches and their arrival gives you 100% confirmation of the trust that they have in our team’s potential,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters at a press conference here at Gaddafi Stadium. The Pakistan team are without a full-time head coach since Grant Bradburn left after their failure to make the knockout stage of the 50-overs World Cup in India last year. Former captain Mohammad Hafeez served as team director and head coach during their tour of Australia. Mohsin congratulated the two foreign coaches on their appointments, saying their stellar track records precede them. “I have every confidence that their expertise will guide our players to reach new heights, aligning with their inherent talent and the expectations of our passionate fans. These high-quality appointments also present a remarkable opportunity for our players to glean insights from these seasoned professionals, refining their skills and fortifying their cricketing acumen,” he added. “The PCB is unwavering in its commitment to furnish the national team with top-tier resources and facilities, fostering an environment conducive to unlocking their full potential and consistently delivering stellar performances,” he said.

It is interesting to note that the PCB has eventually managed to land two of the highest profile coaching names, and for the first time the PCB has appointed split coaches for different formats. While the PCB did not declare the details of their financial agreements, it is believed Gillespie and Kirsten’s recompense will be higher than head coaches have ever been paid in Pakistan cricket before. This is both a reflection of the challenges of attracting bigger names to commit full-time to Pakistan cricket, as well as the bolstered financial strength of the PCB thanks to the International Cricket Council (ICC) revenue, which rose from an $16 million to $34 million in the current rights cycle. Talking about Azhar, Mohsin said that his family was settled in the United Kingdom yet he left them and a “very good offer” behind to serve Pakistan. “The Pakistani nation should know that Azhar came here purely for Pakistan and the Pakistan team and I am hopeful that he will play his role. He will be a bond between Test cricket and white-ball cricket,” he said.

In Kirsten, the PCB has appointed an experienced coach who led India to the 50-over World Cup title in 2011, before the 56-year-old took over as South Africa coach. He has also had stints in the Indian Premier League and is currently working as a mentor at Gujarat Titans. He will take up his new post with Pakistan after the tournament ends. During his tenure, besides the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will also be in charge of the side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, it said. “My primary objective is to ensure the team operates at its optimal level. Success on the field is contingent upon the team performing at its best,” Kirsten said in a statement. “Consistency and continuity are values I hold dear. While player form fluctuations are inevitable, maintaining a stable environment is crucial.” He will join the team during their England tour featuring four Twenty20 internationals next month and his first major assignment will be the T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies in June this year. The 56-year-old former South Africa top-order batter Kirsten played 101 Tests and 185 ODIs from 1993-2004 in which he accumulated a total of 14,087 runs with 34 centuries In 11 Tests against Pakistan, he scored 838 runs at 55.86; in 24 ODIs, he scored 1,054 runs at 55.47.

Gillespie will take over before the two-Test Bangladesh series in August. “I love Test cricket and being able to focus on that is something I like very much,” Gillespie said. He added he was grateful to the PCB for giving him the honour of coaching one of the most highly-regarded and talented cricket teams in the traditional format of the sport. “I also love the fact that there’s so much talent in Pakistan. I like to think that I can help in some way to grow and develop the players. Within Pakistan we have a number of high-quality fast bowlers and being able to utilise them will be a key part of any success we enjoy. But we have quality in all departments — pace, spin, batting and keeping. We have all bases covered.” The 49-year-old former Australia fast bowler Gillespie played 71 Tests, 97 ODIs and 1 T20I from 1996-2006, taking a total of 402 wickets and accumulating 1,531 runs. His best bowling figures in an innings were seven for 37 against England at Headingley in July 1997, while his Test best score was against Bangladesh in Chattogram in April 2006 when he scored 201 not out. In four Tests against Pakistan, he took 10 wickets; in 13 ODIs, he took 21 wickets. He was part of the Australia squad that won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa. He is an ECB accredited Level 4 coach, having completed the two-year course from the University of Gloucestershire. He coached Yorkshire County Cricket Club to back-to-back County Championship titles in 2014 and 2015. He is also credited with the development of England stars Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance and Joe Root during his time with Yorkshire. Gillespie also coached Adelaide Strikers from 2015-2024, guiding the side to the BBL title in the 2017-18 season; Sussex from 2018-2020 and South Australia from 2020-2024. He coached in Zimbabwe from 2010-2012, also served for two months as the interim head coach of the Papua New Guinea national cricket team in 2017, where he helped the side prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier.