The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten as their head coach for ODIs and T20Is, while former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie will take over that role in Test cricket. Along with them, former Pakistan all rounder Azhar Mahmood was appointed as the assistant coach of the team across the formats.
All appointments have been made for a duration of two years and the coaches will not be subjected to evaluation before their term comes to an end.
“The appointment of (Gary) Kirsten and (Jason) Gillispie who are high-profile coaches shows how much value is given to the Pakistan cricket team and how much potential foreign coaches see in our players,” PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said during a media conference.
“We want to give the team the best facilities and that is why we have gone for Kirsten and Gillispie,” he added.
Kirsten, who is currently the mentor of IPL side Gujarat Titans, is expected to take over from Pakistan’s tour of England from May 22. Asked if Kirsten and Gillespie would be available with the Pakistan team all the time, Naqvi said the coaches will mostly be with the team and take their vacations as agreed in their contracts. “We also want their expertise to improve our domestic cricket and help our local coaches.”
