Prior uk Captain Michael Vaughan has rubbed salt in the Pakistan team’s wounds caused by new coach Gary Kirsten’s fiery rant.
The aftermath of Pakistan team’s elimination from the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup was read loud and clear by the new South African coach. Gary Kirsten has strongly criticized the Babar Azam-led team for not having any unity or cohesion to be called a “team”. Additionally, from a gameplay perspective, Kirsten questioned players’ shot selection.
The truth that was kept hidden by the PCB and Babar Azam himself has been revealed from the coach who helped the Indian team win their second World Cup. Gary Kirsten has exposed the Pakistan team, claiming the players do not support each other, with everyone splitting up due to clashing egos.
The situation in Pakistan was so bad that Gary Kirsten even admitted that he had never seen a team like it in his coaching career. South Africa has already sent signs that this particular job is going to be a really tough one. It’s one thing to manage a variety of characters in the locker room and another to help players with basic tasks.
“There is no unity in the Pakistan team. They call it a team, but it is not a team. They do not support each other, everyone is divided into left and right sides. I have worked with many teams and I have never seen a situation like this. A player who develops in this area is a team player. You will be included, or you will be eliminated.” – Gary Kirsten said in an interview.
Micheal Vaughan, known for jumping into work for fun, has backed Gary Kirsten’s outbursts in front of the media. Vaughan reposted the former’s statement on X (formerly Twitter) saying that the Pakistan team lacks unity and solidarity.
The former England captain wrote that while Gary Kirsten’s words may have been harsh, he gave a very blunt view of the team. Something that was obvious but never mentioned. “It’s powerful, but I think what Gary Kirsten said is very true” – Michael Vaughan wrote for X.
Powerful, but I think what Gary Kirsten said is very true.. pic.twitter.com/kb43WfdhJ0
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 17, 2024
Pakistan’s tour of the United States and West Indies lasted just 10 days from June 6 to 16 and featured only the group stage. Babar Azam’s side was out of contention for the second round after consecutive defeats against co-hosts United States and arch-rivals India. Losing the first two games of a World Cup is always a difficult setback to recover from and requires a bit of luck as well.
They enjoyed the same luck in the 2022 Australia T20 WC when they sneaked into the final after losing to India and Zimbabwe in the group stage.
So, a lot of effort needs to be put in behind the scenes so that the Pakistan team can challenge world cricket once again. What Gary Kirsten and his entourage will need to do after this T20 World Cup is to make the right decisions, even if that means being bold or taking a step back.
