Kirsten quits as Pakistan coach

Gary Kirsten has resigned as Pakistan’s white-ball coach barely six months after taking up the job, the country’s cricket board said. Test coach Jason Gillespie will fill in for Kirsten in their limited-overs tour of Australia beginning next week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

“...Jason Gillespie will coach the Pakistan men’s cricket team on next month’s white-ball tour of Australia after Gary Kirsten submitted his resignation, which was accepted,” the PCB said.

The PCB put South African Kirsten, who coached India to the 2011 ODI World Cup victory, in charge of Pakistan’s One-day and T20 International teams in April this year. Kirsten was not present when the PCB unveiled wicketkeeper Mohmmad Rizwan as the new white-ball captain on Sunday replacing Babar Azam. Pakistan are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is against Australia between November 4 and 18 before flying to Zimbabwe for six limited-overs matches.

Meanwhile, Australia’s T20 captain Mitchell Marsh and his Test teammates will skip the series against Pakistan as they prepare for the blockbuster clash against India in the longest format of the game. None of Australia’s Test regulars were included in the squad for the matches in Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart, leaving them free to prepare for the start of the first Test against India in Perth on November 22.

Cricket Australia said some T20 players could join the Test squad after the final T20 at Bellerive Oval, but head selector George Bailey later said that was just a contingency plan in case of injuries.

“We’ve been really clear that we are prioritising the preparation for individuals around the Test summer,” Bailey said.