Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has made a bold prediction regarding the future of the Pakistan cricket team's white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten. Ali believes that Kirsten will be fired from his position after the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
Basit Ali predicts Gary Kirsten's sacking after Champions Trophy
Despite the tournament being hosted on home soil, Ali considers it a significant achievement for Pakistan to even reach the top four. The Men in Green have been struggling with a significant decline in form in recent years, suffering heavy defeats across all formats. Their poor performances at the 2023 ODI World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup, and a recent 2-0 home series loss to Bangladesh highlight their struggles. Given the team's consistent underperformance, Ali's prediction of Kirsten's dismissal seems increasingly likely.
“Congratulations to Gary Kirsten. He will be at the helm of the team till the Champions Trophy. However, he will be fired after the Champions Trophy. I am saying this now that it will be tata, bye bye for him. It will be a big achievement for Pakistan to make it to the top four. They have also stepped into the politics of Pakistani cricket. They won't be successful,” Basit Ali said, as quoted by Times Now.
Gary Kirsten addresses Pakistan's cricket woes
Notably, Kirsten participated in a connection camp held in Lahore. The camp was attended by senior players, where crucial topics such as workload management and team unity were discussed. Following the meeting, Kirsten acknowledged that Pakistan possesses sufficient talent within the country. However, he emphasized the need for implementing specific processes and strategies to revitalize the team and get them back on the winning track.
"I think we we all want a successful team, don't we, and we want the team to do well in everything that they play in. And there's no reason why it can't. It's a very talented cricket team across all the formats but there are processes that you need to put in place. And this and I think that's what we focusing on. We want to know that we got a robust system in the country and that there's competition for places, and that our team is unified in its approach to competing against the best teams in the world," Kirsten said in the press conference.
Pakistan's recent cricket struggles
Pakistan's recent performances in the cricketing world have been a source of disappointment and embarrassment. The team suffered a humiliating defeat in their first-ever home Test series against Bangladesh. Additionally, Pakistan's participation in the most recent ODI and T20 World Cups was cut short as they failed to advance from the group stage. These setbacks have raised serious concerns about the team's form and direction. Pakistan will next host England for a three-match Test series which is set to start from October 7.
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