Don't sack captains hastily: Gillespie, Kirsten tell PCB

Karachi: Pakistan's white and red ball head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have advised the country's cricket board against changing the captains in haste after recent shoddy performances across formats.

Babar Azam was sacked from white ball captaincy after 2023 ODI World Cup round robin exit in India and his replacement Shaheen Shah Afridi was removed after one bad series. Similarly in Tests, after Babar resigned, Shan Masood was named captain but after 0-2 Test series defeat to Bangladesh, there are calls for his immediate ouster.

A PCB source however told PTI that recent media speculations about Masood and Babar's sacking is nothing more than kite flying.

“There has been no discussion on changing the captains as the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has left it up to the two coaches and selectors to decide on the captaincy,” he said.

“And Kirsten and Gillespie are very clear that Shan and Babar both need to be given a proper run before judging their leadership abilities,” the source added.

He said that both coaches wanted continuity in captaincy and have conveyed this to the board very clearly.

He also made it clear that the captaincy or team selections would not be up for discussion when the board holds its one-day workshop titled cricket connection later this month in Lahore.

“That workshop is being held to hear the views of all stakeholders, mainly the domestic team coaches, selectors and contracted players so that the board is able to bridge the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket standards,” he said.

The source also informed that Gillespie who would join via video link and Kirsten who would be present himself at the workshop had told the PCB chief that patience and continuity in policies was required to get long term results from the team across formats.

“The workshop is basically being held because both the coaches want the domestic team coaches to have a clear picture of what is required from them to ensure a flow of players who can be considered for selection for the national teams in all formats,” he said.

Asked who would be appointed captain for the ODI series later this year in Australia and South Africa or for the Champions Trophy, the source said it would probably be Babar to maintain continuity in white ball formats.