Pakistan’s newly-appointed white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten expressed his determination to provide clarity to the players ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Kirsten appeared in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast and acknowledged the challenge of a quick turnaround but remained hopeful of creating a structure within the team over the course of the three weeks to provide ample clarity to the players heading into the World Cup.
He also lauded Azhar Mahmood for doing a great job as the “interim head coach” and revealed they have been contacting as a team.
“It just so happened that I am on an assignment. So, it was difficult to move away. I’ve got to see my contract out here.
“But the plans are already in place. Azhar Mahmood as interim head coach is doing a great job. We are communicating at the moment. I’m getting to understand the team and how they’re playing.
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“I’m watching them play, which is great. I certainly have get my head in the space, but at an arm’s length. We’re in communication as a team but at the moment he’s running the show, I don’t want to lead from a distance because I don’t think that that is a healthy space to be in. It’s difficult actually, but we are doing the best we can.
“It is going to be a quick turnaround (for me), there’s no doubt, we just have to accept that. But, we are hoping that we can build some structures into the team over the course of the next three weeks or so to provide clarity that the players need going into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”
Notably, Gary Kirsten is serving as the coach and mentor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Gujarat Titans.
During his tenure, besides the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will also be in charge of the side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
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