LAHORE: Pakistan white ball coach Gary Kirsten has submitted a “confidential” assessment report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the performance of the 2024 national team in the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
The report, sent to the chairman of the PCB Mohsin Naq, will examine the documents, which point to the players’ fitness, discipline and awareness of the game among other factors that led to the early exit of the team from the mega event.
The development comes after the Green Shirts failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the World Cup, suffering a lopsided defeat against the United States and losing against arch-rivals India.
The Babar Azam-led team could only win matches against Canada and Ireland, which was not enough to propel them to the next round of the tournament.
The national team’s sub-par performance drew sharp criticism from fans and former cricketers, prompting the PCB chairman to announce a “major operation” in the team.
However, the board decided to wait for Kirsten and senior manager Wahab Riaz to take a decision on the future of his team.
After studying the report, the PCB chairman will consult with other management officials and former cricketers before taking a decision on the way forward.
Geo News earlier quoted a source as saying that Kirsten was concerned about the player’s health and was not signed.
In an interview with the team after its exit from the World Cup, the coach said that the team’s skill level was far behind the world.
“With so much cricket being played, nobody knows what is being played and when,” he said, adding that players who only value unity, focus on fitness and improving their skills are part of a growing team.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar on Tuesday about the team’s poor performance, goalkeeper Mohammad Rizwan admitted that the criticism faced by the Green Men was justified.
“The criticism faced by the team is valid and we hope it is because we did not live up to expectations. Players who cannot face criticism will not be successful.
There are many reasons for our loss. When a team loses, it cannot be said that the bowling and batting are good, said Rizwan.
Notably, India won the T20 World Cup 2024 by beating South Africa by 7 runs in the final in Barbados on Saturday.
India joined England and the West Indies to win the T20 World Cup twice, defeating Pakistan in the final in 2007.
The next edition of the T20 World Cup will be held in India and Sri Lanka in 2026 and Pakistan have qualified for the tournament as they are ranked seventh in the ICC T20I rankings.
