Gary Kirsten to join Pakistan team in Leeds ahead of first T20I against England

Lahore: Gary Kirsten, Pakistan's newly appointed white-ball head coach, will join the national men’s side in Leeds on May 19 to commence his two-year tenure. Kirsten is currently serving in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a mentor and batting coach of Gujarat Titans and will leave the team after the last league game on May 16.

Kirsten’s arrival will be three days before the start of the four-match T20I series against England at Headingley on May 22. The series will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the United States and Caribbean, with Pakistan taking on the hosts in the opener in Dallas on June 6.

The 56-year-old South African was confirmed as the white-ball head coach along with Jason Gillespie as the red-ball head coach last month. The Australian will arrive in Pakistan in July for August’s ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh to start his journey.

Kirsten will be the head coach for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, and the ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025, in addition to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series.