ISLAMABAD — Gary Kirsten has stepped down from his position as Pakistan’s limited-overs coach just hours before the team is slated to travel to Australia for their upcoming matches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that it has accepted Kirsten’s resignation and has appointed Jason Gillespie, the current test coach, as the interim head coach for the upcoming series in Australia, which includes three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches.

Kirsten’s resignation comes in the wake of a restructuring within the PCB, which saw the roles of head coaches being curtailed and removed from the newly formed selection committee. This change was instituted following Pakistan’s loss in the opening test against England earlier this month.

The newly-formed selection committee now includes prominent figures such as former fast bowler Aaqib Javed, former ICC umpire Aleem Dar, and ex-test captain Azhar Ali. This shift in committee structure coincided with Pakistan’s comeback, managing to secure a 2-1 series win over England on pitches that were specifically tailored for their strengths.

Previously, head coaches and captains had voting rights in the selection process. However, following Pakistan’s heavy defeat to England, which saw them lose by an innings and 47 runs, the PCB decided to centralize the selection authority within the newly-established committee.

During the lead-up to his resignation, Gillespie had voiced his frustration about his limited capacity on the team, referring to himself as merely a “match-day analyst” before the third test against England last week. “Things in Pakistan can change dramatically without notice,” he had remarked in an interview with Sky Sports. “As a foreigner, I need to understand and respect the different ways in which things are often handled here compared to what I’m accustomed to in Australia.”

Kirsten, who previously led the Indian cricket team to success, began his two-year term with Pakistan in April. However, his tenure came to a disappointing end after the team’s early elimination from the T20 World Cup, where they faced defeats against India and the United States in the group stage.

As they prepare for their tour, Pakistan is set to play its first one-day international since the last year’s World Cup in India, with the match against Australia scheduled for Melbourne on November 4.