“It’s up to them to decide how they want to play the game,” the coach said after the loss to India.
By ESPNcricinfo Staff
Kirsten: “Pakistan made the wrong decision at a critical juncture”
The Pakistan head coach said he knew aiming for 120 in New York would not be easy.
Gary Kirsten has issued a stern warning to his players that they must improve or face being left behind in the modern game as the country begins to reel from back-to-back defeats in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Pakistan fell just short of their target of 120 in a closely fought defeat to India in New York on Sunday. Combined with a shock Super Over defeat to the USA in the opening match in Dallas last week, their chances of progressing to the Super 8s were already well out of their hands. For Kirsten, who was officially appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball coach a week before the tournament began, the start couldn’t have been tougher.
When asked if the team put too much pressure on themselves after the loss to India, Kirsten agreed.
“You’re pretty much right,” he said. “They’re all international players and they know the pressure is on them when they’re not performing at their best. I understand that, but many of them have been playing T20 cricket all over the world for many years and it’s up to them to decide how they take the game forward going forward.”
Though Kirsten didn’t name any names, Pakistan have retained the core of their strong T20 squad through the past three World Cups. Seven of the 11 who played against India in New York were part of the team that lost in the semi-final to Australia in November 2021. Six of yesterday’s 11 were part of the team that lost to England in the final at the MCG a year later.
Captain Babar Azam and his opening partner Mohammed Rizwan will be under scrutiny. The pair were top scorers in both matches but their innings were criticised for their strike rate and a notable lack of ambition. Their approach has been consistent across three seasons and while Pakistan experimented with opening partners in the run up to the tournament, Kirsten said “there are concerns about how they structure and construct the innings”.
Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf have also featured in the past two campaigns and their bowling has largely lived up to expectations, earning praise from Kirsten yesterday, but Shadab’s fading legspin has hurt Pakistan.
“Many of these players have played T20 cricket around the world for many years and it is up to them to decide how they take the game forward going forward.”Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten
Kirsten admitted that she still needed time to get a better grasp on the situation, but it was clear that the players would also need to evolve with the change in format.
“Like I said before, I’ve only been here a few days, I’m looking at the environment, I’m looking at what the issues are. I look at the players, I’ve watched them play on TV for years and I know them well. They’re great players, they’re playing for their country so they’re really excited. So there’s a lot of very disappointed players in the dressing room right now.”
“For me, I think the most important thing for all international players is to continue to grow and develop as a player and understand the demands of international competition. The game changes almost every year, so if you’re not responding and improving, you’re going to get found out somewhere.”
Former captain Wasim Akram, who was commentating on the match, went further and called for a clean sweep of the current team, saying that, without naming anyone, the nature of the defeat meant someone “has to bell the cat now”.
“Enough is enough. We need a change now. We need to bring in six to seven new players in the team and support them so that even if we lose, we grow as a team. It’s time for the PCB chairman to take a bold step,” he said. [of the team] This guy’s not talking to that guy, that guy’s not talking to him. This was the best New York pitch ever. It wasn’t that hard. How hard was it to chase 120?
“Looking at their performance, I don’t think Pakistan deserves to go to the Super 8s.”
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Another former captain, Shahid Afridi, was also not happy with the match. “Pakistan’s batting line-up was in poor form and what we saw was a weakness in their power hitters,” Afridi wrote in his ICC column. “For a number of reasons, this match was [against India] It wasn’t about playing aggressively, but winning a run-chase requires strategy and smart cricket, and those are precisely the qualities Pakistan lacked.
“I think it’s time for Gary Kirsten and Babar Azam to make a change. Salman Ali Agha [he is not part of the T20 World Cup squad] He will replace Usman Khan in the team while Abrar Ahmed will come on in place of Shadab Khan.
“Above all, I think Fakhar Zaman should be promoted as the leadoff batsman of the innings along with Mohammed Rizwan and Babar should drop to number three.”
“There are tough conversations and choices ahead, but we must remember there is still hope – Pakistan is not out of the tournament yet.”
