LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday held a press conference along with interim coach Azhar Mahmood to announce the red and white ball cricket coaches for the men’s national team.
Former South African batsman Gary Kirsten has been appointed as the head coach of white-ball cricket, while former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie has been announced as the Test cricket coach.
Naqvi said during a presser, “We are bringing in Jason Gillespie as the red ball coach while Gary Kirsten will be the head coach of the white ball cricket team. Their stellar records precede them and I warmly welcome them to the Pakistan cricket family.
“Gary’s coaching career has been characterized by his ability to instil a winning mentality, develop young talent and achieve success at the highest levels of the game.
The PCB chairman also announced that former cricketer Azhar Mahmood will remain the assistant coach for both formats, adding that he will be the link between the red and white teams.
Mahmood, who was seated next to Naqvi, also addressed the presser and claimed that his role in the team is gaining importance and praised the PCB for giving him more responsibility.
“This is the first time that two foreign coaches are coming to Pakistan.
Both coaches are appointed for a two-year term. Kirsten will join the team for Pakistan’s tour of England in May, which would be their last outing before the start of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The former Proteas batsman will be in charge of the side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025 and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, while Gillespie will lead the team in their bid to reach the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25.
