"Gary Kirsten has the team of clowns" - Ex-Pakistan cricketer takes a brutal dig at coaches
Published - 17 Jul 2024, 03:09 PM | Updated - 24 Aug 2024, 05:57 AM
Former cricketer Atiq-uz-Zaman recently slammed the Pakistan coaches following the Men in Green's group-stage exit in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024. Atiq-uz-Zaman stated that the Pakistan coaches didn't earn their spots based on merit, describing them as a team of clowns.
Pakistan cricket has been in the headlines after their poor performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Pakistan suffered losses to the USA and India that prevented them from reaching the Super 8 stage. Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and other senior players have been heavily criticized by several former cricketers.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to remove former players Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz from the selection committee. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi clarified that there have been no discussions about Babar Azam's future as the national team's captain in white-ball formats.
Gary Kirsten Has The Team Of Clowns - Atiq-uz-Zaman
In a recent interview, Atiq-uz-Zaman stated that some Pakistan coaches lack leadership skills as they earned spots without merit. The former player also mentioned that these coaches cannot dictate to cricketers in the Pakistan squad.
"Gary Kirsten has the team of clowns in there, and the people who have not come on merit are actually in the team. When people don't come on merit, they don't have leadership skills. Because how can you keep your head up and try to dictate to somebody if you're not there on merit?," Atiq-uz-Zaman said.
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Just Give Them A Specific Role - Atiq-uz-Zaman
Atiq-uz-Zaman stated that there were too many people on the coaching staff with egos. He said that the best support should come with clearly defined roles for everyone. He highlighted the need for proper communication, such as informing players that bowling no balls in the nets is unacceptable.
"So they had a bad coaching staff. They have too many people around them. There were too many, too many egos in that dressing room among the coaching staff. You should have minimized that, and you have to keep as few people as possible but provide them with the best support possible. And everybody, every coach, every player should have their role. Just give them a specific role," Atiq-uz-Zaman added.
"If nobody has to bowl no ball in the nets, it has to be communicated in the team meetings. And say, look, this is the criteria in the nets. You're not allowed to bowl no ball. If you bowl no ball, any of my coaches will shout it. So players would know that. So these things happen when you don't communicate properly."
Geo News reported that Shaheen and Yousuf had a heated exchange during Pakistan's tour of England and Ireland. Shaheen allegedly told Yousuf to stay out of his affairs when Yousuf pointed out that he was overstepping in the nets. These incidents also occurred during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
