Gary Kirsten meets PCB chief to discuss team adjustments
Pakistan cricket board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with Pakistan white ball head coach Gary Kirsten in Lahore on Monday to discuss team changes, including captaincy. After the disastrous T20 World Cup, the PCB chief called him to discuss Pakistan’s future. However, Naqvi’s conversation with the head coach on Babar Azam’s captaincy is crucial.
Kirsten’s World Cup assessment on Pakistan’s poor performance raises several doubts. On July 3, sources told Geo News that he gave the PCB a “confidential” assessment report. The sources claimed the PCB director would analyse the dossier showing players’ fitness, discipline, and game knowledge, among other factors that led to the team’s early exit from the mega event
After losing to underdogs the US and archrivals India, the Green Shirts failed to reach the World Cup Super Eight stage. The Babar Azam-led team only won matches against Canada and Ireland, not enough to advance. The PCB head announced a “major surgery” on the squad after fans and veteran cricketers slammed the national team’s performance.
Before making any team future decisions, the board waited for Kirsten and senior manager Wahab Riaz’s report. The PCB chief would engage other board officials and former cricketers after reviewing the report before making a decision. Kirsten told insiders that the players’ fitness levels are lacking, according to Geo News.
After their globe Cup elimination, the coach told the players that their ability level is well below the rest of the globe. “Despite playing so much cricket, no one knows which shot to play and when,” he remarked, adding that only players who appreciate unity, fitness, and skill development will be on the team.
The Pakistan cricket czar has also begun meeting with past captains and international players to discuss team adjustments. Assistant Coach Azhar Mahmood was also summoned from England. Karachi-based Test coach Jason Gillespie will see Naqvi soon, while Kirsten and Mahmood have arrived in Lahore.