Kirsten, Gillespie given free hand by PCB to turn fortunes of Pakistan cricket: Sources

NEW DELHI: Following Pakistan's disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, met with head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie on Tuesday. Sources indicate that Naqvi granted the coaches complete autonomy to turn the team's fortunes around.
Pakistan's early exit from the World Cup, held in the USA and the Caribbean, came after losses to newcomers USA and long-time rivals India during the group stages.
During the meeting, Kirsten and Gillespie presented their strategies for the national team to the PCB chairman.
The PCB stated that Naqvi expressed his full trust in both coaches and assured them of the cricket board's unwavering support in their endeavors.
"Kirsten was blunt in laying down his concerns about the white-ball team based on the World Cup," PTI quoted a PCB source as saying.
The head coaches of the Pakistan team emphasised the need for clear guidelines to ensure that only physically fit athletes are chosen to represent the nation.
"Naqvi told them they should do whatever is necessary to change the fortunes of the team and no one would ask them to make any compromises on selection or the fitness of players," the source added.
Kirsten, after the team's defeats against the USA and India, cautioned experienced players in the squad to enhance their game awareness and acquire new skill-sets, or risk being left out.
In a report submitted to Naqvi, Wahab Riaz, the senior team manager, highlighted interpersonal conflicts within the team during the World Cup tournament.
"The PCB chief said both the coaches had a free hand to take whatever decisions they wanted to improve the performances of the team in red-ball and white-ball formats."
Azhar Mahmood, the assistant coach, also attended the meeting alongside the other participants.
According to the source, Kirsten shared his insights from his time with the Pakistan team during the World Cup, emphasizing to Naqvi the necessity of reconstructing combinations in the white-ball format and transforming the players' mindset.
Prior to the World Cup, Naqvi had reached out to Kirsten and Gillespie, offering them long-term contracts and assurances of adequate opportunities to execute their strategies. The two coaches had accepted the positions of white-ball and red-ball coaches, respectively, a few months before the tournament.
Kirsten, who has previously worked with the Indian team, brings a strong reputation to his role with the Pakistan team.