New Delhi: Pakistan cricket team coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to avoid captaincy change immediately after dismal show by the team after every now and then. The remarks comes amid reports suggesting that the PCB is likely to replace white-ball skipper Babar Azam with wicketeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan ahead of the Australia tour.
Reports also mentioned that an assessment on Shan Masood’s Test captaincy will be done by the board after the recent humiliating 0-2 loss against Bangladesh on home soil.
According to a report from news agency PTI, a PCB source mentioned that that recent media speculations about Masood and Babar’s sacking is nothing more than kite flying.
“There has been no discussion on changing the captains as the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has left it up to the two coaches and selectors to decide on the captaincy,” the source said.
“And Kirsten (white-ball coach) and Gillespie (red-ball coach) are very clear that Shan and Babar both need to be given a proper run before judging their leadership abilities,” the source added.
Babar Azam was relieved from captaincy across formats after Pakistan failed to make through the last four in the 2023 World Cup in India. Top order batter Shan Masood succeeded him as red-ball skipper and pace bowler Shaheen Afridi took over the reigns of the T20I format.
However, Pakistan’s 4-1 loss to New Zealand in their backyard earlier in January this year in Shaheen’s first assignment paved way for Babar’s reappointment as white-ball captain.
Nevertheless, the PCB source said Kirsten and Gillespie backed captains of their respective formats before the national board.
Connection camp not to discuss Pakistan captaincy change
The PCB planned to hold a ‘Connection Camp’ in Lahore on September 22 to discuss the change in captaincy along with the coaches, as per reports from Geo News. The source close to PCB denied of any such plannings and said that the board wants to bridge the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket.
“That workshop is being held to hear the views of all stakeholders, mainly the domestic team coaches, selectors and contracted players so that the board is able to bridge the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket standards,” he said.
Babar is likely to continue as ODI captain in the bilateral series against Australia (November 4-10), Zimbabwe (November 24-28), and South Africa (December 17-22), as per the source.
Pakistan cricket team coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to avoid captaincy change immediately after dismal show by the team after every now and then. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
