Pakistan coach Gary Kirstein gets brutally trolled after meeting with team online, 'Is this cricket or...?'
The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie to two-year terms as head coaches in white-ball and red-ball cricket, respectively
The Pakistan Cricket Board who appointed Gary Kirsten as head coach for the white ball cricket faced criticism from cricket fans for holding a virtual meeting with the team. Kirsten will begin coaching the Pakistan team right after he finishes his role in the Indian Premier League. Currently, he is serving as the batting coach and mentor for the 2022 IPL champions, Gujarat Titans.
On May 4th, the PCB posted on X, saying, “Pakistan white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten connects with players in the virtual meet-up. Let the journey begin.”
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After the post, the Pakistan cricket fans were quick to react to this and slammed Kirsten for his virtual team meeting with the cricketers.
One user wrote, “How do players learn from a coach through a laptop screen?”
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One fan said, “Cricket bhi online hi khel lo”
Another fan wrote, “Like Mickey Author, he will also do online coaching. PCB, is this cricket or is it a joke?”
Some other wrote, “There was a man called MICKEY ARTHUR who was the ONLINE ZOOM coach of Pakistan Cricket. That was the ruining moment for Pakistan Cricket. Hopefully Gary Kirsten will join the team soon. Most likely in ENG series”
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One fan questioned, “Start Journey! Can they ?”
Another added, “Online session and players are sitting so comfy like watching a movie of their own wedding”
One fan wrote, “Communication is two-way process. How many players conceived the message the coach passed. Due to language barrier”
“This is shameful,” a user said.
“Virtual coaching? RIP PCB,” a user commented.
Notably, it is important to note that Kirsten was the head coach of the Indian cricket team that lifted the 2011 World Cup. While speaking on his decision to join the Pakistan team, he added that working with some of the best cricketers in the world appealed to him.
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“I think Pakistan sits as one of the top four to five coaching jobs in the world internationally. The proposition to work with some of the best cricketers in the world was appealing to me. What is important is that I have the opportunity to work with some of the best cricketers in the world, and that excites me,” Kirsten said on the PCB Podcast as quoted by ANI.
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Further adding, he had said, “My view on Pakistan cricket hasn’t shifted for a long time. There is always an expectation that it should be a high-performing team all the time. We know in team sports, that’s not always the case. It’s always wonderful from a coaching perspective when you can help them (players) unlock their real potential. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m really looking forward to working with those individual players and the team and assisting them that way.”
(With inputs from agencies)