Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten shared his views on accepting the Pakistan coaching role and how he can bring stability to Pakistan cricket through his tactical nous.
During a Podcast with the Pakistan Cricket Board, the newly appointed Pakistan head coach talked about the excitement of working with the Pakistani players and how he could hopefully add some value to the Pakistan men’s national team in limited-overs cricket.
He admitted that he hadn’t closely followed Pakistan’s white-ball cricket until he received an offer from the PCB, however, he said that he fondly watched the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and was familiar with many Pakistani cricketers and young local talent.
Kirsten shared his excitement about working with the household Pakistani cricketers such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Haris Rauf.
The South African said that he was looking forward to understanding what makes them tick and how he can help them to be the best versions of themselves going forward.
“In the end, our role is really to enable the team to play at its best. That is the job of the coaches. We’ll do everything in our power to make sure that we attempt to do that.” he remarked.
The 56-year-old pointed out that he needs proper communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board and what are there realistic goals are while emphasizing that if the team wins one of the three major ICC tournaments then it will be a massive achievement.
While talking about the proposition of working with Azhar Mahmood he said that it will be a great opportunity to work with him recognizing Mahmood’s deep understanding of the players and the cricketing landscape.
The former World Cup winner stated that he has played against Azhar Mahmood many times during his playing days but now they are on the same team and now they will work together for the betterment of Pakistan.
