3 Reasons Why Appointing Gary Kirsten as Pakistan's Head Coach Ahead of the T20 World Cup Is a Mistake

Pakistan Cricket Team is set to embark on a massive quest as they look to win their 2nd T20 World Cup title. Ahead of the huge tournament the men in green appointed former India coach Gary Kirsten as their coach for the white ball formats. 

Gary Kirsten has a great pedigree as a coach helping India win the 2011 OD World Cup title as well as making them the number 1 side in test cricket. This was followed by a stint with the South African side where he made the Proteas one of the best teams in the world. 

Pakistan will be buoyed by this appointment as they look to become a force to be reckoned with. Babar Azam and his team reached the finals of the T20 World Cup in 2022 but this was followed by a dismal ODI World Cup 2023 tournament. 

Here are the three reasons why appointing Gary Kirsten could be the wrong move by Pakistan Cricket 

3. Pakistan’s rickety past with foreign coaches 

It is a known fact that the Pakistan Cricket Team is one of the most unpredictable sides. This makes the job of the coaching unit a lot more difficult with such a team. The likes of Micky Arthur, Richard Pybus and countless other foreign coaches have failed to do well with the men in green. Barring the Champions Trophy 2017 title triumph under Micky Arthur none of the other foreign coaches have been able to crack the code. Gary Kirsten could find it difficult to assimilate and get through his ideas with certain players in the team. Besides all these, the 'death incident of Bob Woolmer' during ODI World Cup 2007 in West Indies, still haunts the Pakistan Cricket when it come to their history with the foreign coaches.

2. Information at the mercy of selectors 

One that Pakistan Cricket possesses is the abundance of talent in the land. This is where the entire ecosystem of the selection committee comes into play. Over the years many voices have remarked that worthy talents aren’t considered for selection. Favouritism and voices raising concerns over nepotism have plagued Pakistan Cricket. Gary Kirsten will have to be at the mercy of the selection committee to get first-hand reports on certain players. This would be a far cry from the leeway he was given when he was with India and South Africa as the national coach. 

1. Very little time for acclimatization with the players 

One of the biggest handicaps that Gary Kirsten will face is that he will be expected to work wonders quickly. The South African will take over the team as the coach with just a few weeks left for the T20 World Cup. Babar Azam and his team will be playing in England but the entire period of assimilation with the players doesn’t happen overnight. Gary Kirsten would know the qualities of the established players, but the new stars could pose a huge challenge for the former South African great.