Behind the scenes drama: Why did Kirsten resign?

‘He wanted a different player as captain’

Former cricketer Basit Ali disclosed that Gary Kirsten was displeased with Mohammad Rizwan's appointment as Pakistan's white-ball captain, as he had preferred a different candidate to lead the team.

In the past 24 hours, Pakistan cricket has experienced considerable upheaval--from Rizwan's appointment as white-ball skipper and Kirsten's resignation as T20I and ODI coach to the subsequent appointment of Jason Gillespie as all-format head coach.

Following the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) acceptance of Kirsten's resignation, Basit revealed that the former South African cricketer had believed he had "full authority" over such decisions and had favoured a player outside the current limited-overs setup to lead Pakistan.

"It all started when Rizwan was made captain. Kirsten wanted a different player to lead, someone who wasn't in the current side. He thought he had full authority, but he doesn't realise that in our country, the PCB chairman can change overnight," Basit said on his YouTube channel.

Rizwan succeeded Babar Azam as Pakistan's white-ball skipper on Sunday when the PCB announced squads for the Australia and Zimbabwe series.

The experienced wicketkeeper will now lead the side in white-ball cricket, with Salam Ali Agha named his deputy for the upcoming away tours.

Within 24 hours of Rizwan's appointment, the PCB confirmed Kirsten's resignation, marking the end of his six-month tenure without having managed Pakistan in a single ODI match--a format in which he holds significant expertise.

Kirsten's main assignment had been the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA, where Pakistan faced an early exit in the group stage after losses to India and the USA.