Pakistan cricket and controversy go hand in hand. It has been in the news these days due to Gary Kirsten’s premature exit as white-ball head coach.
The former South African cricketer stepped down as head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams just six months after getting appointed to the role.
Kirsten reportedly had disagreements with the PCB since the board decided to strip coaches of selection powers, with that authority exclusively the preserve of a selection panel — comprising Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Hassan Cheema.
In a press conference last week, Test coach Jason Gillespie had expressed his frustration over the internal dynamics of PCB, saying that things are far from what he “signed up for”.
The recent developments could potentially deter future international contenders from considering the Pakistan coaching role seriously.
Amidst all this, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh rubbed salt on Pakistan’s wounds after Gary Kirsten took his advice and resigned from the coaching job.
In June 2024, Harbhajan had urged Kirsten to stop wasting his time in Pakistan when their cricket was in turmoil following the group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup, and asked him to join the team he won a World Cup with.
"Don’t waste ur time there Gary .. Come back to Coach Team INDIA .. Gary Kirsten One of the rare .. A Great Coach ,Mentor, Honest nd very dear friend to all in the our 2011 Team .. our winning coach of 2011 worldcup . Special man Gary," Harbhajan had posted on X.
After the recent turn of events, a fan mentioned Harbhajan’s four-month-old tweet to highlight all that's wrong with Pakistan cricket.
To which, Harbhajan responded with a couple of emojis featuring hard tears of laughter.
Meanwhile, the PCB has announced Gillespie as the interim white-ball coach of the Pakistan team for the Australia tour, starting November 4.
Pakistan are due to play three ODIs and as many T20Is in their upcoming tour Down Under. Subsequently, the Men in Green will travel to Zimbabwe for six limited-overs fixtures, slated to begin on November 24.
