PAK vs AUS: Gary Kirsten to Leave Pakistan White Ball Head Coach Role Before Australia Tour - Report

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Former South African batter Gary Kirsten is reportedly set to quit as Pakistan white ball head coach before the tour to Australia, where the team is scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is from November 8.

According to a report on CricBuzz, World Cup-winning former head coach of India Kirsten is likely to leave the role just few months from taking charge of the Pakistan white-ball setup.

The 56-year-old was appointed as the white-ball head coach earlier this year in May, when former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie was brought in for the red ball role by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The report further added that Kirsten will not be travelling to Australia when the team depart in batches, starting from Monday (October 28) followed by Tuesday (October 29). The report also claims there has been serious difference of opinions between Kirsten and the players.

Kirsten had served as the mentor of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Gujarat Titans before taking over as Pakistan head coach. The former South African has been vocal with his criticism of the team, especially during the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

"There's no unity in Pakistan's team. They call it a team, but it isn't a team. They aren't supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I've worked with many teams, but I've never seen such a situation," Kirsten had reacted after Pakistan's loss to India.

The report suggests the reason for Kirsten's decision to leave the role is, however, PCB's reluctance to hire David Reid as a High Performance coach for which the board replied with different alternatives.

Since taking charge of the Pakistan white ball team in May, Kirsten has overseen two victories in the T20 format with the wins coming against Ireland and Canada in the T20 World Cup. In Kirsten's stint Pakistan suffered 4 defeats in 6 matches.

Although he was brought in to serve in the role for the Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup 2026 and the Asia Cup 2025, Kirsten's stint is likely to end less than a few months from taking on the role.

PCB is likely to look for replacements with Test coach Gillespie one of the choices along with the current selector Aaqib Javed, who may be asked to takeover the white ball head coach role before the team tours Australia.

Pakistan will play six white ball games in Australia before they travel to Zimbabwe later in November to play six more white ball matches - three ODIs and three T20Is. The squads for both the tours were announced on Sunday (October 27) as Mohammad Rizwan was appointed the new skipper.