File photo of Gary Kirsten
The eternal dice of changes continues to roll in Pakistan cricket, with white-ball coach Gary Kirsten reportedly set to quit. Kirsten, who won the 2011 ODI World Cup with the MS Dhoni-led Indian team, is on the cusp of ending his association with the Pakistan men's cricket team, as per a report, only 4 months after being given the charge. A lot has changed since Kirsten took over as Pakistan's ODI and T20I head coach. Babar Azam's return as skipper and then resignation, and selection committee changes, are some of the matters that highlight his 4-month tenure.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, some serious differences of opinion between Kirsten and the players have emerged over the last few weeks. While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may not have directly influenced Kirsten to contemplate his future with the men's national team, his recent request to appoint David Reid as a High-Performance coach was turned down by the board. The PCB offered a few other names as alternatives, leaving Kirsten disappointed.
While a formal decision on the matter is yet to be made, the PCB could name Kirsten's successor in the coming days. Jason Gillespie, the incumbent red-ball coach of the men's national team, is reportedly one of the leading candidates for the role.
The PCB could also appoint Aaqib Javed, a former Pakistan pacer, as the white-ball coach, keeping the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy in mind. Aaqib, at present, is one of the members on Pakistan's national selection committee. His work behind the curtains reportedly played a big role in the team's turnaround against England in the recently-concluded 3-match series, which ended in the hosts' favour 2-1.
The Pakistan Cricket Board recently announced squads for the white-ball assignments against Australia and Zimbabwe. It has also been reported that Kirsten will not be accompanying the teams for those two series.