Pakistan Cricket Board appoints Kirsten, Gillespie as men's head coaches

Lahore [Pakistan], April 28 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Gary Kirsten as the white-ball head coach and Jason Gillespie as the red-ball head coach of the Pakistan men's cricket team. Azhar Mahmood has also been appointed as an assistant coach across all formats.

These appointments have been made for a two-year period following a rigorous recruitment process, and an announcement in this regard was made by the PCB on Sunday. Kirsten will assume his role immediately after completing his assignment in the Indian Premier League. During his tenure, in addition to the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will lead the team for next year's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025, and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

Gillespie will take charge for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh (at home in August), followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi congratulated both coaches on their appointments.

"I extend my congratulations to Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten on their appointments as the red and white-ball head coaches of the Pakistan men's cricket team, respectively. Their stellar track records precede them, and I warmly welcome them to the Pakistan cricket family," Naqvi was quoted as saying by PCB's official website.

Gillespie expressed his feelings after being appointed the head coach of the Pakistan Test team. "I am grateful to the PCB for their faith in my abilities and giving me the honour of coaching one of the most highly-regarded and talented cricket teams in the traditional format of the sport. Leading the Pakistan cricket team is a big achievement for any coach, given its rich legacy and passionate fan base," Gillespie said.

Kirsten also shared his sentiments, saying, "It's a tremendous honour to be entrusted with the responsibility of coaching the Pakistan men's national team in white-ball cricket and to rejoin the international cricket arena after some time."

"I eagerly anticipate this opportunity and aim to contribute positively to the Pakistan men's national team in limited-overs cricket," he added. (ANI)