Pakistan White Ball Head Coach Gary Kirsten Reportedly Slams Cricketers For Lack of Unity and Poor Fitness Standards Following Exit From ICC T20 World Cup 2024
Babar Azam has failed to take responsibility both as batter and captain and his indecisiveness rubbed on the Pakistan team despite the recent change in coaching staff. Amidst this, controversy has been sparked by a reported statement of Pakistan white ball head coach Gary Kirsten.
Pakistan National Cricket Team had a very poor outing in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. They were eliminated from the Group Stages only and failed to qualify for the Super Eight stages. They lost their group encounter to USA and then against India which proved to be a killer blow for them as winning the remaining two against Canada and Ireland was not enough for them to qualify. Once again the team failed to show any clear identity with the bat and their safety-first approach ended up being very costly for team in conditions not so easy for the batters. Babar Azam has failed to take responsibility both as batter and captain and his indecisiveness rubbed on the team despite the recent change in coaching staff. Amidst this, controversy has been sparked by a reported statement of Pakistan white ball head coach Gary Kirsten. Pakistan Captain Babar Azam Rues Mistakes His Team Made Against India and USA in ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Taking the coaching role shortly before the tournament, Kirsten allegedly voiced serious concerns about the team's unity and fitness levels after their early departure. According to journalist Ihtisham Ul Haq, Kirsten criticized the lack of teamwork, stating, "There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team. They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I’ve worked with many teams, but I’ve never seen such a situation." According to Geo News, Kirsten also pointed out that the team's skill level is significantly lagging compared to the rest of the world. "Despite playing so much cricket, no one knows which shot to play and when," Kirsten further stated. ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Babar Azam Says Pakistan Captaincy Is Eventually PCB’s Decision.
Geo News Makes Shocking Revelations
Although the authenticity of the statements by Gary Kirsten are yet to be confirmed. There has been always reports that the Pakistan cricket team dressing room is divided in multiple factions. Shaheen Shah Afridi being appointed and removed as captain has not been taken well within the team and it has led to lack of unity within the group. There has been reports of lack of discipline as well as Pakistan Cricket Team players allegedly spent more time enjoying their time in the city of New York rather than focusing on their cricket. Now the report of Gary Kirsten's statement has further added fuel to the fire.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2024 07:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).