Gary Kirsten urged to quit as Pakistan head coach and ‘come back to India’ by Harbhajan Singh after T20 World Cup horror
Harbhajan Singh has urged Gary Kirsten to quit as Pakistan head coach and join Team India as Rahul Dravid's replacement.
It seems like Harbhajan Singh is seeking competition for Gautam Gambhir, who has emerged as an overwhelming favourite to become the next India head coach after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. With Pakistan suffering a premature exit from the ICC event, Harbhajan has urged head coach Gary Kirsten to make a sensational return to Team India. Pakistan head coach Kirsten capped off a nightmare outing as Babar Azam's men failed to clear the group stage of the ICC tournament.
Former South Africa batter Kirsten is believed to have voiced his displeasure about the functioning of the Green Army by the Pakistani media. As per media reports, head coach Kirsten claimed that there's no unity among Pakistan's team. Kirsten also questioned the fitness level of the Pakistani side. In his honest assessment of the Pakistani team, Kirsten observed that Babar and Co. are lagging in skill level compared to other competitive teams.
'Coach Team India': Harbhajan tells Kirsten
Taking cognisance of Kirsten's ‘shocking statement’ shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, former India cricketer Harbhajan has advised the South African head coach to not waste his time at the Pakistan camp. “Don’t waste ur time there Gary .. Come back to Coach Team INDIA .. Gary Kirsten One of the rare.. A Great Coach ,Mentor, Honest nd very dear friend to all in the our 2011 Team .. our winning coach of 2011 worldcup . Special man Gary,” Harbhajan said.
'No unity in Pakistan'
Kirsten was appointed the head coach of the Pakistan side in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. Pulling no punches while reflecting on Pakistan's performance at the ICC event, Kirsten asserted that he never experienced such a toxic atmosphere in a team. "There's no unity in Pakistan's team. They call it a team, but it isn't a team. They aren't supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I've worked with many teams, but I've never seen such a situation," Kirsten said, according to Pakistani reports.
Gambhir vs Kirsten?
As per the latest developments, former India opener Gambhir is set to replace Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the Indian senior team. According to a recent report, Gambhir will take over the coaching reins from Dravid after the T20 World Cup. Dravid's contract is set to expire at the end of the T20 World Cup. The batting legend has made it clear that he will not reapply for the top job. Gambhir is tipped to sign a deal with Team India until the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor will also get to pick his support staff members.
