Gary Kirsten to join Pakistan team on May 19, PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that Gary Kirsten will join the Pakistan team in Leeds on May 19 to begin his two-year tenure as the Pakistan team’s white-ball head coach.

According to PCB, Gary Kirsten will join the team three days before the start of the four-match T20I series against England at Headingley on May 22. After this series, the Pakistan cricket team will participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 held in America and the West Indies, in which the Pakistan team will face the host USA in its opening match on June 6 in Dallas.

Gary Kirsten, 56, from South Africa, was appointed as the white ball head coach last month while Australia’s Jason Gillespie was appointed as the red ball head coach.

Jason Gillespie will arrive in Pakistan in July to take charge ahead of the ICC World Test Championship series against Bangladesh in August.

Apart from next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Garry Christen will also host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka and a CCT will be the head coach of the Pakistan team in Asia Cup 2025 as well.

I am excited to embark on this new journey with the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team, says Gary Kirsten. It is an honor to coach such a talented and dynamic team and I am eager to play my part in their success at the international level.

He said that these are truly exciting times for Pakistan cricket, with a new management and players determined to deliver solid results. The upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 presents a great opportunity for us to showcase our talent and maintain Pakistan’s position as a formidable force in cricket, but success requires collective effort, planning and Each will require unwavering support.

He said that 19 other teams are vying for the title. We must consistently outperform our competitors to achieve our ambitions.

“I am determined to work with the team to elevate their game and bring joy to fans around the world,” Gary Kirsten said. Continuity and consistency are important to me. I believe in supporting the players and giving them the confidence they need to perform at their best.

Rest assured that once I have decided to support a player, I will stand by them to foster an environment in which they can progress.

Meanwhile, PCB added Simon Helmut (fielding coach) and David Reed (mental performance coach) to the player support staff on the suggestion of the team management.

David Reid will join the team on May 20 and will hold the charge till the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 while Simon Helmut will join the team on May 31.

Aftab Khan, who is currently serving as the team’s fielding coach, will take over as the high performance coach for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup following Helmut’s arrival.