Coach Gary Kirsten resigns after Rizwan replaces Babar as Pakistan captain

Rizwan was named Pakistan's ODI and T20 captain, replacing Babar Azam. Salman Ali Agha was made vice-captain for all future ODI and T20 international assignments.

A day after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Muhammad Rizwan as the new captain for white-ball cricket, Gary Kirsten resigned from his role as head coach.

 

According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Kirsten was reportedly unhappy with how PCB has managed recent proceedings. The board has stripped coaches and captains of decision-making powers, granting the selection committee exclusive authority over the team’s affairs.

 

The report further mentioned that Kirsten, who is currently not in Pakistan, had hoped to provide input on Pakistan’s team selection and the new captain. However, with the new selection policies in place, his insights were not considered, potentially leading to his decision to step down.

 

 

The rapid changes unfolding in Pakistan cricket are surprising. Kirsten, who guided India to victory in the 2011 One Day International (ODI) World Cup, did not coach Pakistan in a single ODI match.

 

Kirsten's first assignment was the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup 2024 in the United States and West Indies. Pakistan was eliminated in the group stage after losing to both India and hosts USA. 

 

Red-ball coach Jason Gillespie given extra charge

 

With Kirsten parting ways in just six months from Pakistan cricket, Jason Gillespie, who is head of Test side, will accompany the white-ball squad during Australia and Zimbabwe tours.

 

Pakistan Squad for Australia Series

 

On Sunday, wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Rizwan was appointed Pakistan’s captain for both ODIs and T20 Internationals, replacing Babar Azam. The selectors announced the squads for Pakistan's white-ball tours of Australia and Zimbabwe, starting on November 4.

 

Salman Ali Agha was named vice-captain for all future ODI and T20 International assignments.

 

Pakistan’s tour of Australia will feature three ODIs and three T20Is, with Rizwan’s first captaincy assignment beginning with the ODI opener in Melbourne on November 4.

 

Agha will captain the T20I side in Zimbabwe, with Rizwan resting under a workload management plan, the PCB announced.

 

Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe — comprising three ODIs and three T20Is — will take place from November 24 to December 5, starting with the first ODI in Bulawayo.

 

Babar Azam, along with pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, rejoined the squad for the Australia tour after missing two Tests against England. However, they will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

 

The PCB initially announced the squads for the two white-ball tours before confirming Rizwan as captain for the Australia assignments and the ODI series in Zimbabwe.

 

Several new players were added to the squads, while senior players like Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were left out. 

 

ODI squad for Australia tour: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

 

T20I squad for Australia tour: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan. 

 

ODI squad for Zimbabwe tour: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir.

 

T20I squad for Zimbabwe tour: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.