"Whoever raises their voice will be sidelined" - Basit Ali on Gary Kirsten stepping down as Pakistan's white-ball coach
Former Pakistani batter Basit Ali recently commented on Gary Kirsten stepping down as the Men in Green's white-ball coach. The veteran coach was roped in earlier this year and was handed a two-year contract.
However, Kirsten resigned from the position just six months into the role. Basit opined that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is very powerful at the moment. He suggested that with Naqvi at the helm, the people who raise their voices will lose their jobs.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit said (from 2:24):
"Mohsin Naqvi has come with a lot of power. The coaches, selectors and managers are being removed. Earlier, the chairman used to be changed from time to time. Now, whoever raises their voice will be sidelined."
Basit also mentioned that Mohammad Rizwan's appointment as Pakistan's new white-ball captain played a role in Kirsten's resignation. He added (from 1:34):
"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."
Following Kirsten's exit, the PCB confirmed on Monday, October 28, that Pakistan's red-ball coach Jason Gillespie will be the team's interim head coach for their upcoming ODI and T20I series against Australia.
"All the Pakistani players, be it Shaheen Afridi or Babar Azam, are happy" - Basit Ali on Mohammad Rizwan's appointment as captain
Keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was named Pakistan's new white-ball captain ahead of the team's Australia tour. In the aforementioned video, Basit Ali stated that all the Pakistani players were happy with the decision.
Hoping that Rizwan has a successful run, the cricketer-turned-expert said (from 8:19):
"All the Pakistani players, be it Shaheen Afridi or Babar Azam, are happy with Mohammad Rizwan becoming the captain. Now if the team doesn't fight hard under Rizwan's captaincy, it will be a big misfortune for Pakistan cricket and you won't see anyone in the future. It is a great chance. I am not saying that they will win in Australia and South Africa, but if the team environment changes, then you will know."
Pakistan's tour of Australia will kick off with a three-match ODI series, beginning November 4 in Melbourne.