"It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do" - Gary Kirsten's old tweet goes viral after his resignation as Pakistan coach
Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten recently resigned as Pakistan's white-ball coach. He was given a two-year contract in April, but chose to part ways with the team just six months into the role.
Following Kirsten's departure, one of his old tweets has gone viral on social media. He had posted a quote from Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple. The quote suggested that it doesn't make any sense to hire smart people and then instruct them on how should they do their jobs.
Kirsten wrote on September 13, 2017:
"It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do". (Steve Jobs)."
According to reports, Gary Kirsten resigned due to differences with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). His exit came just days before the Men in Green's upcoming white-ball tour of Australia. Pakistan's red-ball coach Jason Gillespie was subsequently named the team's interim coach for the ODI and T20I series Down Under.
"He was thinking that maybe he could have full authority" - Basit Ali on Gary Kirsten
Former Pakistani batter Basit Ali suggested that Mohammad Rizwan's appointment as the new white-ball captain played a role in Gary Kirsten's departure. He reckoned that the veteran coach wanted a skipper of his choice, a demand which was rejected by the PCB.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit said:
"The story started when Mohammad Rizwan was named Pakistan's new white-ball captain. Kirsten wanted a different captain and demanded another player in the team. Coincidently, both of them are not in the team. He was thinking that maybe he could have full authority. However, he doesn't know that in Pakistan, even the PCB chairman can get changed overnight."
Gary Kirsten's short stint with Pakistan was a tumultuous one. During his tenure, the team suffered a group stage exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup, courtesy of defeats to the United States of America and India.