PCB hire CSK staff as Pakistan Cricket Team mental performance coach; Gary Kirsten's joining date confirmed

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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has roped in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) staff as their mental performance coach ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. He has also worked with top Olympians, Melbourne Stars in BBL, and Essendon Football Club in the AFL.

The PCB has announced that Reid will join the Pakistan team for the four-match T20I series against England and the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies in June. He will be part of a strong Pakistan support staff alongside Simon Helmut, who has been named as the new fielding coach.

“The appointments of Helmut and Reid were made on the recommendation of head coach Gary Kirsten, who will take charge of the team on May 19 in England,” the PCB said.

Aftab Khan, who has gone to Ireland and England with the Pakistan team as fielding coach, will be re-designated as the high-performance coach once Helmut joins the team, the PCB said.

“That’s why we’ve brought on board David Reid, a seasoned expert with nearly two decades of experience as a Qualified Mental Health Clinician," PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said.

"With his expertise in enhancing both functioning and performance, we are confident that our players will receive the comprehensive care they need to thrive both on and off the field," he added.

Gary Kirsten to join Pakistan cricket team on May 19

Further, the PCB has confirmed that newly-appointed Pakistan white-ball coach Gary Kirsten will be joining the team on May 19, three days before their first T20I against England in Leeds on May 22. Pakistan will play four T20Is before heading for the T20 World Cup 2024.

The 56-year-old Kirsten was confirmed as the white-ball head coach along with Jason Gillespie as the red-ball head coach last month. Apart from next month’s T20 World Cup and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will be the head coach for the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, and the T20 Asia Cup in 2025.

“I’m truly excited to embark on this new journey with the Pakistan men’s cricket team. It’s an honour to coach such a talented and dynamic team, and I’m eager to contribute to their success on the international stage,” Kirsten said in a statement.

(With PTI Input)