Former Pakistani President Arif Alvi reacted on Monday to news that national cricket team head coach Gary Kirsten told the players that the team is not united. The impact of Pakistan’s dismal group-stage exit in the 2024 T20 World Cup has already begun, a day after the team’s final game.
According to Pakistani media reports from Monday (June 17), head coach Gary Kirsten chastised the players following their disastrous performance. According to reports, Kirsten remarked that the team lacked cohesiveness and that players did not play for each other.
“There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team. They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I’ve worked with many teams, but I’ve never seen such a situation.
No one knows which shot to play when and dishing out a warning. “Players who improve in these areas will be included in the team; otherwise, they will be dropped,” Kirsten said by Pakistan’s GEO News.
Kirsten, who won the 2011 World Cup as India’s coach, was named Pakistan’s coach just weeks before the T20 World Cup in 2024. Pakistan, on the other hand, fared poorly. The 2022 T20 World Cup runners-up were eliminated during the group round.
Pakistan opened with a loss to debutants USA, followed by a loss to archrival India. Despite victories over Canada and Ireland, the team was unable to advance to the ‘Super 8’ stage.
Gary Kirsten’s words are an attack on the solidarity & integrity of Pakistan: Arif Alvi
On Monday, former Pakistani President Arif Alvi reacted to the news that national cricket team head coach Gary Kirsten told the players that the team is not united. Alvi joked that an FIR should be filed against Gary Kirsten. Although he did make it clear that the statement was on a lighter note and not something he was serious about.
“For us in Pakistan there is an easy solution to this serious allegation. This is an attack on the solidarity & integrity of Pakistan. We have information from credible sources (cipher) that cannot be revealed that he is working under the direct influence of foreign interests against our ideology. The patron of the PCB has ordered immediate action that includes registration of FIRs in all the cricket playing centers of Pakistan and his name is put on the ECL.
For Gary! Don’t worry the above is just a pun. Do your best to salvage our beleaguered cricket team,” wrote Alvi on X.
For us in Pakistan there is an easy solution to this serious allegation.
یہ تو ہمارے لیئے بائیں ہاتھ کا کھیل ہے۔
This is an attack on the solidarity & integrity of Pakistan. We have information from credible sources (cipher) that cannot be revealed that he is working under the… https://t.co/9dq0is1ufF
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) June 17, 2024
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