Former South African captain Gary Kirsten, who has been serving as Pakistan’s head coach for limited-overs formats, has returned to his home country after a stint in Pakistan. He has flown back to South Africa despite the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) preparing to announce a successor to Babar Azam in white-ball cricket.
Kirsten gearing up for crucial PAK matches
Kirsten, who was in Pakistan to observe the One-Day Champions Cup, which was won by the Panthers. Kirsten had discussed the state of Pakistan cricket with selectors and board officials, and will rejoin the Pakistan squad in Melbourne on October 29. The team is set to play a gruelling schedule of 18 matches (9 ODIs, 9 T20Is) in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa in November and December. The forthcoming assignment of Pakistan is their three Tests against England, starting from October 7 in Multan.
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While Kirsten is no longer in Pakistan, he remains available to the team and board whenever his input is needed. The search for Babar Azam’s replacement has been a topic of much discussion, with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi emerging as potential candidates.
“Kirsten and even Jason Gillespie have had discussions with other people on the selection committee over the captaincy issue,” an insider revealed as per TOI. “The decision will be taken keeping in mind the future and also the behaviour and recent performances of potential candidates.”
Rizwan is reportedly the frontrunner for the captaincy, with the possibility of a younger player being appointed as his deputy to manage his workload. This younger player could be Saim Ayub or even Naseem Shah.
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