Pakistan white ball coach confidential report Gary Kirsten is believed to be the main cause Babar Azamresigned as captain of both T20Is and ODIs teams.
The shocking revelation has sparked controversy in Pakistan cricket, with many including Yasir Arafat now speculating about the real reasons behind Babar Azam’s decision.
Pakistan’s surprise group stage exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, where they suffered defeats against both hosts USA and arch-rivals India, had already raised eyebrows.
But the leak of Gary Kirsten’s report added fuel to the fire he submitted to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) immediately after the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean.
Babar Azam’s resignation linked to Gary Kirsten’s scathing report?
The report highlighted important leadership problems during the Babar Azam era Pakistan‘s tours and the T20 World Cup 2024, questioning his ability to effectively lead the team under pressure. Despite Babar Azam publicly stating that he has quit to focus on his batting, many believe that the truth is hidden.
According to insiders, Gary Kirsten’s analysis pointed out that Babar was a strong candidate to lead Pakistan in ODIs, but his approach to the fast-paced and high-pressure environment of T20 cricket was lacking.
A critical appraisal has reportedly recommended a change of leadership in T20I cricket, but Babar has also decided to step down from the ODI captaincy.
Babar Azam’s decision to walk away from both the T20I and ODI captaincy comes just three months after the World Cup debacle. He informed PCB officials of his resignation, but former Pakistan captain Arafat said the move was heavily influenced by the findings of Kirsten’s report, which examined his leadership style at key moments in Pakistan’s recent campaigns.
Kirsten’s recommendations lead to Babar’s resignation as Pakistan captain: Yasir Arafat
Arafat pointed out that the recommendations of the head coach of the Pakistan cricket team directly influenced Babar’s decision to step down from his captaincy in white-ball cricket.
The confidential report suggested that the star prospect may have felt held back by increased pressure and scrutiny from both the Pakistan team management and the media.
Cricket Pakistan quoted Yasir Arafat as saying: “You may remember Gary Kirsten wrote a report after the T20 World Cup 2024 ended. So, after analyzing his leadership in England as well as in the World Cup, his recommendations, especially regarding Babar’s captaincy, I think led to Babar’s resignation. Also, Kirsten analyzed that Babar is not a perfect candidate for the Pakistan captaincy.
Some media reports claimed that star wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan could be considered as the next captain of the Pakistan white ball cricket team after Azam’s resignation.
However, sources close to Rizwan clarified that there have been no formal talks with the PCB regarding the captaincy so far.
It should be noted that the Pakistan team is currently preparing for a three-match Test series against England at home.
This series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 ​​and the matches will be held in Multan and Rawalpindi. Three mock exams will be held on October 7, 15 and 24 respectively.
