The white-ball side's head coach is former South Africa skipper Gary Kirsten and former England fast bowler Jason Gillespie has been appointed to coach the Test side and Azhar Mahmood has been selected as an assistant coach for all formats.
The two appointments are valid for two years. They were part of a thorough recruitment process, the PCB stated.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi congratulated Gillespie and Kirsten on their appointment. He said, "Jason Gillespie is a born coach with extensive experience in coaching, both domestic and international, focusing on the development of talent and delivering top team performance. Gary Kirsten has the ability to build a winning mindset, develop promising young talent, and deliver success at the highest levels of cricket."
Kirsten will join his team after completing his commitments with the Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Under his charge, Pakistan will prepare for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series as well. Kirsten will manage the side in the next ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2026.
Kirsten coached the Indian team from 2008 to 2011. During this period, he guided the team to win the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and also helped it climb to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings.
Kirsten was enthusiastic about developing the growth of the players and building the team. He wanted them to maintain stability and continuity in team selection, building constant performance on the ground.
Gillespie will be concentrating on the Test format of cricket starting with the ICC World Test Championship matches, which include Bangladesh, England, and South Africa during the 2024-25 season.
"I very much look forward to putting my experience into Pakistan's team and help them succeed in the long form. I loved the Test cricket for its challenge, its grind, and its excitement, and to help Pakistan reclaim its rightful place in the Test world is a challenge that I consider among the most noble in the sport," Gillespie was quoted saying. He felt there were excellent talents within Pakistan, and he wanted to develop a winning culture within the team.
He said he eyed the ICC World Test Championship as the ultimate form of Test cricket, and he had hopes that Pakistan would be amongst the top teams in the tournament.
