Former England batter Kevin Pietersen took to X to share his disapproval of Gary Kirsten resigning from his position as Pakistan white-ball head coach. The move comes after Kirsten had a dispute with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding their decision to remove head coaches and captains from the selection panel.
As a result of this development, red-ball coach Jason Gillespie took over the responsibility of limited-overs teams as well. Interestingly, Gillespie had also admitted to being frustrated after not having clear communication with PCB.
The situation escalated when PCB removed Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah for the final two tests against England after losing the opening test. As per Gillespie, the PCB didn’t even ask him and captain Shan Masood for their opinion regarding the selection changes. However, the move paid off as Pakistan went on to win the series 2-1.
Apart from being dissatisfied with the working module of PCB, Kirsten was reportedly unhappy with the lack of unity in Pakistan white-ball team. Moreover, during the squad and captaincy announcement for limited-overs series against Australia and Zimbabwe, he was not present in the press conference as well. The appointment of Mohammad Rizwan as white-ball captain also didn’t augur well with the former Proteas batter, resulting in his resigning from the position.
Pietersen was shocked by PCB letting go an experienced coach like Gary Kirsten, who led India to 2011 ODI World Cup glory. As per him, this move takes Pakistan Cricket backwards after winning a series against England in a clinical fashion. He posted:
“How can Pakistan Cricket lose Gary Kirsten’s with his resumè in coaching? One step forward the last few weeks and two steps back today! Stop doing it to yourselves. Too much talent to keep doing this kind of stuff!”
Fakhar Zaman considering retirement after PCB removes him from central contract
As per reports, opening batter Fakhar Zaman is thinking to take retirement after PCB omitted him from the central contract and upcoming white-ball series against Australia and Zimbabwe.
PCB was asked to undergo a fitness test but he was unable to complete the 2 km run in eight minutes due to a knee issue. However, Usman Khan, found a place in the contract and white-ball squads despite stopping in the final lap of his fitness test.
The discrepancies in the fitness test is further reported as Imam-ul-Haq missed the mark by finishing the run in 8 minutes and 11 seconds. However, Kamran Ghulam, who finished in 8 minutes and 22 seconds, was awarded a contract and a place in the side.
Interestingly, Fakhar and Imam are both said to be close friends with Babar Azam, who lost his place in the red-ball side and was removed as a white-ball captain.
