Islamabad, June 16, 2025: Gary Kirsten term as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach ended abruptly after just half a year, and until now, the former South African cricketer had stayed silent about what triggered his sudden departure. However, in a recent conversation on the Wisden Cricket Patreon podcast, Kirsten finally disclosed the real reasons behind his early exit.
Kirsten, who took on the role in April 2024 along with Jason Gillespie—appointed as the Test coach—said his short-lived spell was riddled with internal issues that ultimately pushed him to step away. The breaking point came when the squads for Pakistan’s limited-overs tours to Australia and Zimbabwe were finalized without consulting either of the newly appointed coaches. This move indicated a collapse in decision-making transparency and respect for coaching authority.
“It was a tumultuous few months,” Gary Kirsten admitted. “I realised quite quickly I wasn’t going to have much of an influence. Once I was taken off selection and asked to take a team and not be able to shape the team, it became very difficult as a coach then to have any sort of positive influence on the group.”
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Both Kirsten and Gillespie were excluded from a newly formed five-member selection group. Gillespie also expressed dissatisfaction, saying he was treated more like a “game-day planner” than a full-fledged coach.
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The situation revealed the recurring backstage disorder in Pakistan cricket. Not long after, Gillespie also resigned, particularly dismayed by the dismissal of performance coach Tim Nielsen.
Although Mike Hesson has since stepped in, his exclusion from the latest selection committee raises doubts. If past patterns continue, Hesson’s stay might be as short-lived as Kirsten’s.
