Wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as the captain of the white-ball cricket team. This was announced at a press conference held in Lahore on Sunday (October 27). The 32-year-old Rizwan will start his captaincy during the tour of Australia. On the other hand, Shan Masood will continue to captain Pakistan in Test matches. A day later, another big news came out of the Pakistani cricket world.
This is why Gary Kirsten steps down as head coach
Pakistan T20 and ODI head coach Gary Kirsten has resigned. Kirsten was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on a two-year contract in April 2024 but resigned six months later. Surprisingly, Kirsten couldn’t even coach an ODI match. Under Kirsten’s coaching, the Indian team won the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Now Jason Gillespie will coach Pakistan’s white-ball team during the Australia tour. Gillespie is also the head coach of the Pakistan Test team.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced today that Jason Gillespie will coach the Pakistan men’s cricket team during next month’s white-ball tour of Australia after Gary Kirsten submitted his resignation, which was accepted.
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 28, 2024
PCB took away the team selection rights from Gary Kirsten. This power belongs only to the selection panel in which he is no longer involved. Kirsten was said to be angry about this. Even when Rizwan was appointed, Kirsten’s opinion was not taken on board. According to ESPN Cricinfo, Kirsten has not made any public statements, but it is understood that he is disappointed with recent developments.
Gary Kirsten feels isolated due to the growing influence of the current selection committee. After losing to England in the first Test, Pakistan announced its new selection panel. This is the third time this has happened in three months. Ajib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Hassan Cheema were all involved, while the coach and captain were dropped from the selection panel.
The main reason for the delay in announcing the Australian tour squad and new captain is ongoing discussions within the board. Kirsten hopes his suggestions will be considered. When new captain Mohammad Rizwan was announced at a press conference in Lahore, only new selection committee member Aqib Javed, new captain Rizwan and vice-captain Salman Agha and chairman Mohsin · Naqvi was present. Kirsten wasn’t even in the country at the time.
Kirsten’s international career looks like this
Left-handed opening batsman Gary Kirsten played 101 Test matches for South Africa and scored 7289 runs at an average of 45.27. His highest score during this period was 275 points. During his Test career, Gary scored 21 centuries and 34 half-centuries. Even in One Day International, Gary didn’t have an answer. Gary Kirsten played 185 one-day internationals and scored 6798 runs, including 13 centuries and 45 half-centuries. Gary Kirsten’s best score in one-day internationals was 188 not out, which he scored against the UAE in the 1999 World Cup.
Gary Kirsten is also a great outfielder whose agility on the field is unparalleled. That one ball that Gary Kirsten caught off Sachin Tendulkar remains in the minds of fans to this day. Kirsten catches the bowling of Shaun Pollock in the second innings of the 1996 India Test match in Durban. This catch by Kirsten is considered one of the best in Test cricket.
