Dav Whatmore predicts turbulent times ahead for Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie; shares scathing advice for Pakistan coaches

Former Pakistan head coach Dav Whatmore shared his thoughts on the challenges the current white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten and red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie are facing with the Pakistan Cricket Team.

With tensions running high following Pakistan's dismal performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Whatmore said that Kirsten and Gillespie will have a tough ride. Whatmore, who previously went through the turbulent waters of Pakistan cricket, has some strong words of wisdom for Kirsten and Gillespie.

Dav Whatmore shares scathing advice for Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, as they face an uphill battle as Pakistan coaches

Sharing his advice for Gillespie, the former coach has emphasized the importance of staying "calm and collected" amidst the storm of high expectations and pressure. However, he had confidence that Gillespie could rise to the occasion.

The Zimbabwean said that the former Australian cricketer can complete his tenure with the Pakistan cricket team as he did, as he mentioned that there were a number of coaches who never completed their term with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), thanks to the team's poor performance in major events.

Dav Whatmore was quoted as saying by PakPassion: “I don't know about Kirsten, but I spoke to Jason when I was in Australia. And I just gave him what I thought and felt when I was there for my two years. And to just, you know, to really be calm and collected and just do your work as best you can.

It'll be a learning curve for him; there's no question. And I think he'll do well, to be honest. I think he's got the temperament as a foreigner to come over and fulfill his duty whenever it is, whatever, a year or two years.”

Meanwhile, Whatmore admits that the situation for Gary Kirsten is more intense and challenging than for Gillespie due to Pakistan's shocking exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 after defeats to the USA and India, saying the heat is on for the former South African captain and his job is still not safe.

Gary Kirsten's job won't be that easy: Dav Whatmore

Whatmore further acknowledged the huge task ahead for Kirsten, saying that such setbacks certainly bring potential shake-ups within the Pakistan team and management. He hinted at potential further changes in the team and other areas as a response to the Men in Green’s underwhelming performances in recent times, including the T20 World Cup 2024.

Speaking about the tough job Kirsten has, Whatmore noted: “Obviously, with the T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan lost to the USA and did not qualify for the second stage of the tournament. So, it's going to be a steep learning curve for Gary as well, isn't it? I guess there's, you know, when you have a result like that, no one's happy with it.

If you've got anything to do with Pakistan cricket, I guess from there, there's only one way to go, isn't there? And that's out. So, in some ways, you've got to weather the storm. His job won't be that easy, I can tell you.”

In the end, the former coach mentioned the changes in the selection committee as consequences of the T20 World Cup 2024 disappointment. He signed off by saying that time will tell ‘whether there'll be further casualties’ as a result of those performances, but Kirsten has a really tough job in hand.