Basit Ali: “It all started when Rizwan was made captain. Kirsten wanted a different player to lead, someone who wasn’t in the current side. He thought he had full authority, but he doesn’t realise that in our country, the PCB chairman can change overnight”
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Former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali has claimed that former limited overs head coach Gary Kirsten didn’t want Mohammad Rizwan to become white-ball captain.
Kirsten, who barely lasted six months as head coach, wanted to pick someone else “who wasn’t in the current side”.
However, this didn’t work out and Rizwan was handed control of the ODI and T20I teams, while Kirsten resigned.
“It all started when Rizwan was made captain. Kirsten wanted a different player to lead, someone who wasn’t in the current side. He thought he had full authority, but he doesn’t realise that in our country, the PCB chairman can change overnight,” Basit said on his YouTube channel as quoted by NDTV.
Pakistan recently played three Tests against England and won 2-1, which was their first Test series victory at home since 2021.
Following this, the men in green travelled to Australia for a limited overs series that consisted of three ODIs and three T20Is.
They won the ODIs 2-1, which earned them their first ODI series win in Australia since 2002.
However, the men in green ended the tour on a disappointing note as Australia thrashed them 3-0 in the T20I series.
Pakistan will now head to Zimbabwe to play three ODIs and three T20Is from November 24 to December 5.
Pakistan Squad for Australia ODI Series: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Pakistan Squad for Australia T20I Series: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe ODI Series: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir
Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe T20I Series: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan
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