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Mohammad Masroor take charge as fielding coach for upcoming tours

Masroor previously served as the fielding coach for the national team during the two Test matches against England.

News Desk October 29, 2024

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Mohammad Masroor as the fielding coach for the national team for the upcoming series against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Sources indicate that Masroor's appointment came on the recommendation of Jason Gillespie, who was impressed by Masroor’s coaching methods during the Pakistan Shaheens' tour of Australia.

Masroor previously served as the fielding coach for the national team during the two Test matches against England.

This marks Mohammad Masroor's first full-time coaching assignment with the Pakistan national team, although he has previously worked with the Pakistan Shaheens and the Under-19 team.

In 2018, he also served as an assistant to Steve Rixon during the home series against the West Indies.

Masroor is scheduled to depart for Australia with other players from Karachi tomorrow, ready to take on his new role as the team prepares for the challenging upcoming series.

Yesterday, Gary Kirsten resigned from his role as head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams, just six months after his appointment in April 2024.

His decision comes amid growing tension between Pakistan’s new coaching staff and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following a controversial shift in authority.

Earlier this year, the PCB changed its policies, removing selection responsibilities from Kirsten and his colleague Jason Gillespie, who also joined as a coach.

Now, team selection is fully managed by an independent committee, effectively sidelining the coaches from the decision-making process.

This change has sparked discontent within the coaching staff. Gillespie voiced his dissatisfaction recently, stating he felt reduced to just a "match-day analyst." He remarked, "It wasn't what he signed up for."

Although Kirsten has not spoken publicly on the matter, sources close to the situation indicate he was disappointed by the shift, particularly with being left out of the selection discussions and captaincy decisions.