The sudden resignation of Gary Kirsten as head coach of the white-ball cricket team has prompted a warning from Ramiz Raja, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In April 2024, Kirsten was appointed by the cricket board for a two-year term. He did, however, leave the position on October 28 after only six months.

During Pakistan’s four-match T20I series against England in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, the South African took the lead.

Pakistan lost the series against England and were eliminated from the T20 World Cup group stage while he was the white-ball head coach.

Kirsten’s resignation, according to the sources, followed his arguments with the cricket board on central contracts and white-ball teams for the forthcoming tour of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Notably, in the past, the selection committee included voting members who were head coaches and captains of the various versions.

Nevertheless, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) restructured the selection committee after Pakistan’s crushing loss to England in the first Test match, eliminating the coach and captain from the process. This did not sit well with Gary Kirsten.

In a statement to the media, Ramiz Raja predicted that the cricket board will have trouble in the future recruiting elite international coaches.

“Hiring international talent won’t be an easy, straightforward task for Pakistan, especially when you consider the kind of backlash that Gary Kirsten’s resignation is likely to cause,” Ramiz stated.

It is imperative that you provide clarity regarding the role to the person you have engaged and involved. Gary Kirsten may or may not have received that clarity.

Pakistan needed an experienced hand, therefore her departure is not good news. Just before a tour, it doesn’t appear very well from a distance.

Shahid Afridi, the former captain and all-rounder of Pakistan, endorsed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to designate Mohammad Rizwan as the white-ball captain of the national men’s side.

On Sunday, Rizwan succeeded Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after Babar resigned from the position earlier this month to concentrate more on his playing responsibilities.

Rizwan’s inaugural assignment as captain will be the white-ball series in Australia, commencing on 4 November.

Rizwan, who commenced his white-ball cricket career in 2015, has participated in 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is, amassing 5,401 runs, including four hundreds, and has had 143 dismissals as a wicketkeeper.

Rizwan will assume the role of Pakistan’s 31st captain as he leads the side in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November. He will be the 12th individual to captain Pakistan in the T20I format during the first match in Brisbane on 14 November.

Concurrently, the esteemed all-rounder Shahid Afridi expressed his enthusiasm for the PCB’s decision to appoint wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as the team’s captain. He conveyed assurance in Rizwan’s capacity to elevate the white-ball team to unprecedented levels.

Afridi stated on X, formerly Twitter, “If you seek a captain who exemplifies strategy, courage, optimism, vitality, and fervor, Rizwan is your ideal choice.”

“I am delighted that @TheRealPCB has assigned him this significant responsibility.” I am fully confident that he would advance this white-ball team and fulfill the elevated expectations of people who desire the prosperity and success of Pakistan cricket,” he added.

The 32-year-old wicketkeeper will commence his captaincy during the matches against Australia and the ODIs against Zimbabwe, but will be rested for the T20Is against Zimbabwe.

In his absence, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha will command Pakistan in the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Jason Gillespie was appointed as the interim coach for the white-ball format during the impending tour of Australia by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday, following Gary Kirsten’s resignation as the white-ball head coach.

Gary Kirsten’s resignation, which was approved by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), followed by the decision hours later.

The PCB announced the interim coach via a post on their official X account, which was previously known as Twitter.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced that Jason Gillespie will serve as the head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team during the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia. This was made possible by the acceptance of Gary Kirsten’s resignation.

In addition to his role as the head coach of Pakistan’s red-ball team, Gillespie will now also be responsible for the white-ball squad as they prepare for the difficult series against Australia.

What is the reason for Kirsten’s resignation as head coach?
Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s recently appointed instructors, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have experienced a disagreement, according to sources who previously disclosed the situation. The coaching duo’s loss of selection powers attributable to the board’s decision is the source of the tension.

Sources also disclosed that Kirsten, despite her public silence, is dismayed by the change. He experiences a sense of marginalization as a result of the current selection committee’s increasing influence, particularly in the context of stewardship decisions and selection discussions.

See Additional Information: Gary Kirsten and Gillespie are appointed as coaches for white and red-ball cricket by the PCB.

The PCB’s decision has restricted the coaching duo’s responsibilities, according to a source, despite their appointment to revitalize Pakistan’s cricket team.

Following Pakistan’s defeat in the initial Test against England, a new selection panel was announced, marking the third in three months. It was comprised of Aaqib, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Hassan Cheema, while the instructors and captain were excluded.

Soon, the PCB is expected to issue an official statement concerning Garry Kirsten’s resignation.

The PCB disclosed the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, as well as the squads for the tours to Zimbabwe and Australia, on Sunday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has upgraded the central contract list to include 25 players, while Fakhar Zaman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, and Iftikhar Ahmed have been removed.

The reports indicate that Kirsten conveyed his dissent regarding the squads.

Prior to the forthcoming tours of Zimbabwe and Australia, the cricket board also designated wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan as the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball team.

Australia roster for Pakistan
ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (vc), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.