Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten is considered one of the most successful coaches in international cricket. Now, he is reportedly on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) radar to become the next men’s team head coach. He is among the three names shortlisted for replacing Misbah-ul-Haq who stepped down as head coach before ICC T20 World Cup. Besides Gary, Australian coach Simon Katich and former England cricketer Peter Moores are among the shortlisted candidates for the job.
Gary was head coach of the 2011 World Cup winning Indian team led by then captain MS Dhoni. Katich has previously served as a coach for two Indian Premier League (IPL) teams. He was Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach and head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Moores had served twice as England team’s head coach.
Gary, who trained the South Africa team for a while after the 2011 World Cup will turn out to be a great addition to PCB, who are currently searching for a foreign permanent head coach. Ahead of the T20 World Cup, while Misbah Ul Haq stepped down from his position of head coach, Waqar Younis resigned as the bowling coach of Pakistan. PCB has appointed former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as the interim coach for Pakistan and Abdul Razzaq is taking care of the bowling department. The changes coincided with Ramiz Raja taking charge as the PCB chief.
According to an Indian Express report, PCB chief Raja is in favour of appointing a foreign coach on a full-time basis even as the majority of coaches prefer to be associated with franchise cricket due to its shorter duration. The report said that Gary could be Pakistan’s next head coach while Katich and Moores might have to settle for a Pakistan Super League assignment.
The resignation of Misbah and Waqar did not affect the performance of the Pakistani team in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE. In their first match, Pakistan defeated arch-rival India by 10 wickets and beat New Zealand by 5 wickets in their second match of Super 12 round in Group 2. Pakistan’s team is on top of the Group 2 points table after winning two matches. The Babar Azam led side is on the path to secure a place for the semi-finals.
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