Gary Kirsten slaps Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Team in the face and leaves

Pakistan have been dealt a huge blow as the white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten has stepped down from his post. Kirsten's resignation came just hours after the announcement of the new white-ball captain and the vice-captain of the team.

Kirsten was named Pakistan's head coach for white-ball formats in April 2024. His tenure lasted just six months. Under Kirsten, Pakistan played just one tournament - T20 World Cup 2024 - where they failed to go past the first stage of the tournament.

The former South Africa opener has resigned from his post just a few days before the start of Pakistan's white-ball series against Australia. Pakistan will play three ODIs and three T20Is on the tour of Australia from November 4.

Also read: Pakistan Cricket Team and Cricket Board accused of copying India vs Australia by Pakistan legend

Gary Kirsten steps down as white-ball head coach

The news has not been officially announced yet but will be declared in some time according to the reports. According to ESPNCricinfo, things were not going down well between Kirsten and the PCB after the board decided to keep him out of the selection panel.

The new selection committee stripped both Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie (red-ball head coach) of their powers and decided to remove them and the captains from the team selection after Pakistan's embarrassing defeat in the first Test against England at Multan.

While Gary Kirsten was reportedly unhappy with this decision, Jason Gillespie too expressed his displeasure. Before the third Test at Rawalpindi, Gillespie claimed that he was merely a "match-day analyst" now.

Gary Kirsten unhappy with the PCB

While Gillespie made his comments in public, Kirsten did not reveal anything but was disappointed with it. Both the coaches have been left disappointed by the PCB's decision to strip off the selection powers and have felt sidelined by the influence of the new selection committee.

The new selection committee consisted of Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Hassan Cheema. It is also believed that the umpire Aleem Dar gave the idea to play the second Test on the same pitch at Multan. Pakistan eventually went on to win and leveled the series in Multan.

Kirsten's coaching stint included just the T20 World Cup 2024, in which Pakistan were knocked out of the first round. He did not coach the team in any ODI, which is actually his strength according to his previous coaching experience.

The former South Africa opener was the head coach of India during their 2011 ODI World Cup win. Under him, India also reached the No. 1 Test rankings in 2009. He is still regarded as one of the best coaches in India.

Big blow to Pakistan ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

Gary Kirsten's resignation is a big blow to Pakistan, especially considering a new team is to be formed under the new captain Mohammad Rizwan. With the home Champions Trophy just a few months away, Pakistan will have a big challenge to prepare a solid squad for the tournament.

With Kirsten not available for the upcoming ODIs against Australia, Jason Gillespie will take over as the interim head coach of the team for the white-ball series in Australia. Gillespie's experience of Australian conditions can come in handy for the Men in Green on this tour.