Kirsten steps down as Hobart Hurricanes coach

Cape Town - Gary Kirsten has stunned the Hobart Hurricanes by announcing his shock resignation as head coach mid-way through his two-year contract.

The Big Bash League (BBL) franchise confirmed on Wednesday that Kirsten had stepped down as head coach a year into the job.

"I have made a decision for a specific personal reason to resign from my role as head coach of the Hobart Hurricanes," Kirsten told the franchise's official website.

"It is an unfortunate circumstance as I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the club.

"I want to thank everyone involved on the Hurricanes Programme for their support and hard work, and I wish the players well for the upcoming season.

"I look forward to remaining a big Hurricanes supporter and will be watching closely from Cape Town," said the former Proteas coach.

"I loved my time in Hobart and explored much of Tasmania on my mountain bike, so thank you for a fantastic experience."

Former Australian batsman and bowling coach Adam Griffith will now take over as coach for the BBL franchise.

Cricket Tasmania Chief Executive Nick Cummins revealed that despite Kirsten's resignation, they would like the former Proteas batsman to still be involved with the Hurricanes.

"We are obviously disappointed that Gary needed to withdraw from the Hurricanes," said Cummins.

"Gary did an outstanding job last season taking us to the Grand Final and we were looking forward to going one step further under his leadership in BBL|08.

"We're working with Gary to see if he can come to Hobart this summer so our fans can give him a proper send off," said Cummins.

Kirsten played in 101 Tests and 185 ODIs for the Proteas between 1993 and 2004 and coached the side between 2011-2013.

He also coached India to the 2011 Cricket World Cup title.

BIG thank you to @Gary_Kirsten for being our Hurricanes Head Coach for BBL|07 and guiding our club all the way to the Grand Final. Hope you can visit Hobart this Summer so our fans can give you a proper thanks + farewell. Success follows wherever you've coached! #KingOfCapeTown pic.twitter.com/AGifhz22jX
— Hobart Hurricanes (@HurricanesBBL) July 11, 2018