The revolving door of the Pakistan coaching setup has claimed two more high-profile victims, and they aren't going quietly. Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, both appointed with much fanfare in April 2024, have opened up about the "constant noise" and systemic "interference" that made their roles tenable for mere months rather than years.
Kirsten, a World Cup-winning coach with India, lasted just six months in the white-ball role before resigning in October 2024. Gillespie, who managed the red-ball side for nine months, followed him out the exit in December 2024, citing a "completely unacceptable" lack of communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Now at the helm of the Sri Lankan national team, Kirsten described the level of outside interference in Pakistan as unlike anything he had seen in 38 years of professional cricket. He noted that coaches are often treated as the "lowest hanging fruit" when results falter.
The thing that surprised me more than anything was the level of interference. I don’t think I have ever seen it at that level before... where you have no, or very little, influence as a coach, then what’s the point of doing it? I only do this job because I want to help a group of people be the best they can be.Gary Kirsten
Kirsten also expressed sadness over reports that players were fined by the PCB for their failure to reach the T20 World Cup semifinals, calling the punitive environment "counterproductive."
Jason Gillespie’s departure was triggered by what he described as a total breakdown in professional courtesy. The final straw came when the PCB sacked senior assistant coach Tim Nielsen without any communication with Gillespie, the sitting Head Coach.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Gillespie was blunt about the lack of respect shown to the coaching staff:
The PCB sacked our senior assistant coach with ZERO communication with me about it, and as Head Coach I found this situation completely unacceptable. There were a number of other issues which left me completely humiliated.Jason Gillespie
Both coaches highlighted that formulating a long-term strategy with players is nearly impossible when external "noise" dictates policy. Kirsten noted that while he found the players dedicated and professional, the administrative environment made the job "incidental in terms of an experience."
Record: Kirsten’s tenure lasted only six T20 games in total.
Sacking: Tim Nielsen was let go just before the 2024-25 tour of South Africa.
Quick-fix: Gillespie briefly managed the white-ball tour to Australia as a temporary measure before his own exit.
Current status: Kirsten has already moved on to his fourth international job with Sri Lanka.