Leeds [UK]: Pakistan’s newly appointed head coach, Gary Kirsten, has joined the team in Leeds ahead of their upcoming four-match T20I series against England. Kirsten, who was welcomed by team manager Wahab Riaz, captain Babar Azam, and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, received a team jersey upon his arrival.
Kirsten’s arrival follows his recent stint with the Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Gujarat Titans, who finished their campaign in the eighth spot. Announced as Pakistan’s limited-overs head coach last month, Kirsten brings extensive experience from his playing days with South Africa and his successful coaching tenure with India.
During his playing career (1993-2004), Kirsten made 101 Test and 185 ODI appearances, scoring 14,087 runs and 34 centuries across both formats. As a coach, he led India to a historic World Cup victory in 2011 and helped them achieve the number-one spot in the ICC Test rankings.
Kirsten aims to guide Pakistan to World Cup glory, starting with the T20I series against England, which begins on May 22 at Headingley Carnegie and concludes on May 30 in London. This series will serve as crucial preparation for the T20 World Cup.
In the upcoming marquee event in June, Pakistan is placed in Group A alongside the USA, India, Canada, and Ireland. They will kick off their campaign against the USA on June 6 and face arch-rival India on June 9 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.
Pakistan squad for the England series:
- Babar Azam (C)
- Abrar Ahmed
- Azam Khan
- Fakhar Zaman
- Haris Rauf
- Hasan Ali
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Imad Wasim
- Mohammad Abbas Afridi
- Mohammad Amir
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Muhammad Irfan Khan
- Naseem Shah
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Ali Agha
- Shadab Khan
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Usman Khan
