Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten resigned on Monday after just six months in the job and a week before a tour of Australia begins.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the former South Africa Test player would be replaced by Test coach Jason Gillespie for the tour, in a statement offering no reason for Kirsten’s departure.

Sources said Kirsten decided it due to differences with management on the issue of team selection and support staff. They added that the coach threatened not to go with the team on the Australia tour if the demands were not met.

Kirsten insisted on bringing in players of his choice in the selection committee and the team while “refusing” to come to Pakistan for the national team camp.

Kirsten has made no public statement about his resignation.

In the past two years, Pakistan cricket has cycled through several coaches, three board heads, four captains and numerous formats of its domestic competition.

Analysts say the instability has sabotaged chances of success on the field. Last week’s 2-1 Test triumph over England was Pakistan’s first home series win since February 2021.

On Sunday, Pakistan appointed Mohammad Rizwan as skipper for the white-ball tour of Australia and Zimbabwe, replacing Babar Azam who stepped down this month.

Pakistan open the Australia tour with three one-day internationals in Melbourne (November 4), Adelaide (November 8) and Perth (November 10) followed by three Twenty20s.

Kirsten played 101 Tests and 185 one-day internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004 before coaching India to win the 50-over World Cup in 2011.

(With input from AFP)