On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed the new head coaches for the senior men’s squad.
On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed the new head coaches for the senior men’s squad. Former India head coach Gary Kirsten, who led the MS Dhoni-led squad to the World Cup in 2011, will take charge of the white ball teams, while former Australia bowler Jason Gillespie will take over in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Azhar Mahmood, a former Pakistan all-rounder, has been designated the all-format assistant coach.
Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the PCB, made the announcement at a press conference held on Sunday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
“Kirsten will take over the team immediately after completing his term in the Indian Premier League. In addition to the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will lead the team in next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025, and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, according to a statement from the PCB.
“Gillespie will assume responsibilities for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh (at home in August), which will be followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season,” the statement continued.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi made the following statement regarding the appointments: “I would like to congratulate Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten on being named the head coaches of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, respectively, for red and white balls.” I cordially welcome them to the Pakistan cricket family, as their outstanding track records speak for itself.”
“Being given the opportunity to coach the Pakistan men’s national team in white-ball cricket and making a long-overdue comeback to the international cricket scene is an incredible honor. Kirsten was quoted on the PCB website as stating, “I am excited about this opportunity and hope to positively contribute to the Pakistan men’s national team in limited-overs cricket.”
Gillespie commended PCB for having confidence in him to handle the Test side’s workload. He expressed his gratitude to the PCB for believing in him and granting him the privilege of leading one of the best and most accomplished cricket teams in the game’s conventional format.For any coach, leading the Pakistan cricket team is an enormous accomplishment because of the franchise’s illustrious history and devoted fan base.”
