Internal conflicts and lack of unity are cited among the primary reasons behind Pakistan's dismantling at the T20 World Cup - Reports
India's ex-World Cup-winning coach, Gary Kirsten, couldn't rally the disunited Pakistan team into the Super 8s. As per a report of Geo News, disappointed PAK head coach Kirsten recently had a candid discussion with the players, making some shocking remarks, past Pakistan's early T20 World Cup 2024 exit. (More Sports News)
Before the group stage, Pakistan, touted as strong contenders for this year's title, fell short of expectations, exiting the tournament in the league stage. Their hopes of advancing were hit with a severe blow in their opening match with an embarrassing defeat against USA.
When Pakistan suffered a loss against India in their second game, their campaign appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Although USA's loss to India and subsequent victory over Canada briefly revived Pakistan's slim chances, they were ultimately eliminated after USA's match against Ireland was rained out. Pakistan's campaign concluded on Sunday, June 17 with a nervy victory over Ireland.
According to reports, Pakistan's head coach is reportedly as disappointed as the fans themselves.
One day after Pakistan's exit from the T20 World Cup, Gary Kirsten slammed the players saying that there was no unity within the team. The former South African batsman, renowned for coaching teams globally, lamented that the Pakistan players weren't even backing each other, expressing his dismay at the state of affairs.
There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team. They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I’ve worked with many teams, but I’ve never seen such a situation," this quote, allegedly from Gary Kirsten, quickly gained widespread attention on social media, seemingly directed at a journalist.
However, further investigation revealed that the outburst occurred in the dressing room, not as a public criticism of their performance in the Twenty20 World Cup. According to Geo TV, Kirsten's comments were part of a debriefing session after Babar Azam's side defeated Ireland on Sunday, and were misinterpreted on social media.
The word is out that Kirsten reportedly used strong language, stating that the team did not play as a unit. But many believe, it was just a dressing room conversation which blew out of proportion.
In addition to remarks about unity, another quote about the team's fitness was reportedly spreading. 'If we want to compete with the best, we have to improve our fitness and skills and be united. We are way behind in terms of fitness. Only the players who want to improve on their fitness will remain in the team,' said the former India head coach.
Following this, some players are believed to have leaked the dressing room talk to the media. "They presented this comment based on their personal biases toward players and officials. Gary definitely didn’t say what has been or is being reported," said a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Kirsten also clarified to a few members of the PCB that he did not publicly criticize the team’s performance.
According to reports, six players, including captain Babar Azam, have chosen to vacation in London rather than return to Pakistan immediately.