NEW DELHI: Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali revealed that the former South African cricketer and coach Gary Kirsten was unhappy with the decision to make Mohammad Rizwan the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball teams. Basit stated that Kirsten had a different player in mind for the leadership role and thought he had “full authority” over such choices.
The Pakistan cricket team has undergone notable transitions lately, including Rizwan’s appointment as the white-ball captain, Kirsten’s decision to step down as the T20I and ODI coach, and the hiring of Jason Gillespie as the head coach for all formats.
“The story started when Mohammad Rizwan was named Pakistan’s new white-ball captain. Kirsten wanted a different captain and demanded another player in the team. Coincidently, both of them are not in the team. He was thinking that maybe he could have full authority. However, he doesn’t know that in Pakistan, even the PCB chairman can get changed overnight,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
“Mohsin Naqvi has come with a lot of power. The coaches, selectors and managers are being removed. Earlier, the chairman used to be changed from time to time. Now, whoever raises their voice will be sidelined,” Basit said.
Kirsten’s main assignment had been the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA, where Pakistan faced an early exit in the group stage after losses to India and the USA.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday that Rizwan will replace Babar Azam as the team’s white-ball captain for the upcoming series against Australia and Zimbabwe.
Salam Ali Agha has been appointed as Rizwan’s vice-captain for these away tours.