Gary Kirsten has broken his silence on his abrupt departure as Pakistan’s white-ball coach, calling his six-month tenure “tumultuous” and blaming off-field interference and internal politics within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for undermining his role.
The former India coach, who guided them to the 2011 World Cup title, was appointed in April 2024 alongside Jason Gillespie, who took charge of the red-ball side. But following a disastrous T20 World Cup campaign, which included shock defeats to the USA and India, Kirsten found himself sidelined from selection decisions—prompting his resignation.
“It was a tumultuous few months. 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,” Kirsten said on the Wisden Podcast.
Stripped of influence after World Cup flop
Kirsten was initially promised a key role in player selection, but that assurance vanished following the T20 World Cup group-stage exit. Excluded from meetings and unable to shape the squad, Kirsten saw no path to making a difference.
His departure mirrored that of Gillespie, who also exited shortly after a relatively successful ODI series win in Australia—another indicator of instability within Pakistan cricket’s leadership.
‘Cricket teams need to be run by cricket people’
Kirsten made it clear that the core issue is a lack of cricketing leadership at the top.
“Cricket teams need to be run by cricket people. When that’s not happening and when there’s a lot of noise from the outside that’s very influential noise, it’s very difficult for leaders within the team to walk a journey that you feel like you need to walk in order to take this team to where it needs to go,” he said.
This reflects growing frustration among coaches and players alike over the PCB’s inconsistent decision-making and politicized environment—a system that has been blamed for Pakistan’s recent struggles, including back-to-back group stage exits in major ICC events.
Still open to a return, but on his terms
Despite the disappointment, Kirsten isn’t closing the door entirely on Pakistan.
“If I got invited back to Pakistan tomorrow, I would go, but I would want to go for the players, and I would want to go under the right circumstances,” he said, emphasizing that player development, not politics, would be his priority.
The 57-year-old spoke warmly about the squad, expressing sympathy for the unique pressures Pakistan players face.
“I’m too old now to be dealing with other agendas; I just want to coach a cricket team and work with the players – I love the Pakistan players; they’re great guys. I had a very short period of time with them, and I feel for them. More than any other team in the world, they feel the pressure of performance massively; when they lose, it’s hectic for them, and they feel that.”
Success only comes when there’s no interference
Kirsten concluded by reflecting on what it takes to succeed in modern cricket—and what prevented him from doing so in Pakistan.
“But they’re professional cricketers, and I’m a professional cricket coach. When we get into that environment, there are generally certain things you do to help a team be the best that they can be, and when there’s no interference, you go down the road, and if it’s a talented group of guys, you’re generally going to have success.”
As Pakistan continues to search for stability in its cricketing structure, Kirsten’s words add to a growing chorus of criticism around how the PCB is managed—and raise serious questions about whether any top-level coach can truly thrive under the current regime.
