Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the late appointment of Gary Kirsten as the new head coach. Latif claimed that if the Pakistan team fails to perform in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, the PCB will shift the blame onto Kirsten.
“Gary Kirsten has been a successful coach for India and also in franchise cricket. But the timing (of his appointment) is wrong,” Latif said. “Next month, we are going to the World Cup. On the road to the World Cup, we are playing 7 matches. The time is very short. If they lose, the board will blame Kirsten or Babar Azam. This is our tradition. I will not blame Babar or Kirsten.”
Kirsten, who guided India to the 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, was named Pakistan’s new head coach for the white-ball formats just a week ago. The T20 World Cup is set to commence on June 2nd in the USA.
Latif criticized the PCB for the last-minute decision, arguing that other top teams have their coaching staff and squads in place well in advance of major tournaments. “Today, if I know that this is my head coach, this is my captain, and this is my selection committee… Momentum is like what happens in Australia, India, England – they know these are our 12-13 certain players and this is my coach. You should have known all this 6-8 months or even a year in advance,” he added.
As Pakistan prepares for the T20 World Cup, Latif’s comments have reignited the debate around the PCB’s decision-making process and the potential consequences of untimely appointments.
