LAHORE: Gary Kirsten would need an atmosphere that promotes “continuity and consistency” in order for the national side to succeed in the shorter forms, while Jason Gillespie would prefer to rely on “communication and clarity” to get the best out of the Pakistan Test team.
Both Gillespie and Kirsten, who were named on Sunday as the team’s head coaches for the Test and white-ball formats, respectively, are expected to bring high standards and guiding principles to the cricketing world of Pakistan, which has seen more than a year of unrest.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been anything but consistent during the past two to three years, which is a reflection of the unstable political and economic climate in the nation.
In actuality, the situation has been quite the reverse, with the board having three leadership changes in 13 months—two temporary and one elected chairman. Pakistan had three captains and three distinct sets of coaches during this turbulent time.
In an effort to get Pakistan cricket back on track, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB’s elected chairman, hired Gillespie and Kirsten to two-year contracts two months ago after the reinstatement of an elected government.
Critics are applauding the two for their appointments because Gillespie and Kirsten are both known for being coaches that instill a winning mindset in their students.
However, in order to effectively accomplish that in Pakistan, they would need the freedom to have an impact on a society beset by instability and insecurity. As members of the national selection committee, Gillespie and Kirsten might have that kind of impact.
In a PCB-released podcast, former Australian bowler Gillespie expressed his excitement at joining the selection committee. Throughout my whole coaching career, I have served as a selector. It all boils down to communication and clarity.
Having finished the two-year program at the University of Gloucestershire, Gillespie is an ECB licensed Level 4 coach even though he hasn’t coached internationally. In 2014 and 2015, he guided Yorkshire, an English county team, to back-to-back Championship victories.
While Kirsten is currently the batting coach and mentor of the Gujarat Titans, who won the 2022 Indian Premier League, he is best remembered for his accomplishment of winning the 2011 World Cup with India.
To expect desirable results, the former South African batter must have the proper systems in place.
“I believe in maintaining continuity and consistency in the process, letting the systems and processes do their job. If you do that, you have highly skilled players and a high probability of achieving long-term success, which is the goal of every team,” he stated in an interview with the PCB podcast.
Kirsten will join the Pakistan camp ahead of the side’s four-match Twenty20 International series against England next month. He would be the team’s manager for the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for June in the West Indies and the United States.
Kirsten’s main responsibilities with Pakistan will include the 2026 T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy the following year.
Prior to joining the team, Azhar Mahmood, a former all-rounder for Pakistan, was named assistant coach for both formats — will perform the functions of the head of the backroom crew.
“The arrangements are set in motion,” Kirsten remarked. “As acting head coach, Azhar Mahmood is doing a fantastic job.
“At the moment, we are in communication. I’m learning about the team and their style of play. It’s awesome to see them play. I have to keep my head in the room, but not too close.
Conversely, Gillespie is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan prior to their domestic Test series against Bangladesh. In October of this year, the national team will also play Test matches against England.
Pakistan has defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 on the road in the ICC Test Championship so far, but they were destroyed 3-0 by Australia in the beginning of the year.
There is no doubt that Pakistan would face difficulties in the ICC World Test Championship 2023–2025, according to Gillespie. “I’m excited for my first opportunity, which will be a home matchup versus Bangladesh. We’ll just approach each Test match and series as it comes.
