The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Gary Kirsten will commence his two-year term as the head coach of the Pakistan national cricket team by joining the squad in Leeds on May 19th. Kirsten will join the team just three days before the commencement of a four-match T20I series against England in Headingly.
Following this series, the Pakistan cricket team will participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be held in the USA and the West Indies. Pakistan will play their opening match against hosts USA on June 6th in Dallas.
Gary Kirsten, a 56-year-old coach from South Africa, was appointed as the head coach for the Pakistan team’s white-ball format last month, replacing Australia’s Jason Gillespie. Gillespie will take over the responsibility of the head coach for the Pakistan team’s red-ball format in July, preceding the ICC World Test Championship series against Bangladesh in August.
Apart from the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and bilateral white-ball series, Gary Kirsten will also serve as the head coach for the Pakistan team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in India and Sri Lanka and the ICC T20 Asia Cup 2025.
Expressing his excitement about the new role, Gary Kirsten stated, “I am thrilled to begin this new journey with the Pakistan cricket team. Coaching such a talented and dynamic team is an honor, and I am eager to contribute to their success on the international stage.”
Kirsten emphasized the significance of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, stating that it presents an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to showcase its cricketing prowess. He highlighted the importance of teamwork, planning, and unwavering support for each other to achieve success in the tournament.
In addition to Kirsten’s appointment, the PCB has included Simon Helmot as the fielding coach and David Reid as the mental performance coach in the player support staff. Reid will join the team on May 20th and will continue his responsibilities until the conclusion of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. After Reid’s arrival, Astab Khan, who is currently serving as the fielding coach, will take over the responsibilities of the high-performance coach for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
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