No Unity in Team: Gary Kirsten Criticizes Pakistan`s Fitness And Lack Of Unity After Early T20 World Cup 2024 Exit

Gary Kirsten, the head coach of the Pakistan T20 cricket team, commented on Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup group stage. He attributed the team’s struggles to a lack of unity and fitness issues.

Kirsten criticized the team’s lack of mutual support among players and noted alarming fitness problems. According to a report, also cited by Cricket Pakistan, Kirsten observed a ‘lack of mutual support among players unlike any he’s encountered in his career’. He stated that players who show improvement will stay on the team, while others will be excluded.

“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,” Kirsten said.

Kirsten’s alleged and ‘shocking’ statements have reportedly created quite a stir in the Pakistan cricketing circuit. Ever since, many Pakistan sports journalists – across print, online, and TV – have been taken aback by these kinds of remarks. It is important to note that Kirsten did not make these comments at any press conference or public addressal. In fact, he is on his way back home to South Africa as certain Pakistan players will take the flight from Miami to Pakistan via Dubai while six, including captain Babar Azam himself, will jet off to the UK on holiday.

Geo Super also claims that lack of unity wasn’t the only aspect of Pakistan cricket he addressed. Kirsten also pointed out how the team and players are way behind in terms of skills and fitness. The shot selection of batters was also questioned. Kirsten’s explosive discussion included telling players, ‘No one knows which shot to play when’ and dishing out a warning. “Players who improve in these areas will be included in the team; otherwise, they will be dropped,” the report further claims.

The verbal bomb coming from Kirsten, someone known for his calm demeanour, underlines the severity of Pakistan cricket’s crisis. Many former cricketers believe that the rut starts at the top, the PCB, where the chairmanship has become a game of musical chairs. Couple that with the abundance of shuffling around of players, coaches, and captaincy, and all of it culminates into a recipe for disaster.