MOHAMMAD Rizwan was given the charge of white-ball cricket. The very next day, head coach Gary Kirsten quit — just a week before the Greenshirts’ series starts in Australia. This is Pakistan cricket for you, as fluid as it can be.

Just when the spectacular 2-1 Test series triumph at home by Shan Masood and his men against a well-oiled England was being savoured, Kirsten’s unceremonious departure surfaced as a dangerous omen for Pakistan cricket which has been str­uggling at international level in all formats for the past several years.

Talking specifically of white-ball game, one strongly feels that Pakistan has remained in flux for one reason or the other and therefore the country has lagged behind in top-notch competitions, thanks to frequent change of guard at the Pakis­tan Cricket Board in the past three years, chop-and-change in team selection and its managements and numerous captaincy appointments.

Former Test cricketers Aaqib Javed and Saqlain Mushtaq, as possible replacements of Kirsten, are circulating in the media.

While talking to Dawn on Tuesday, Saqlain, when asked whether he would accept the job if it was offered by the PCB, responded thoughtfully.

“I will think over it,” the former off-spinner said. “[Moreover] I will take the advice of my close friends and family before taking a decision in this regard.”

He added, “I am quite happy with my current role [of Panthers’ mentor] in the PCB.”

Pakistan is going to host the ICC Champions Trophy early next year. Though the Greenshirts are the defending champions who lifted the title last held in 2017, their chances at least currently in the prestigious eight-nation event by no means look bright while keeping an eye on several internal developments — including the exit of Kirsten — that have rocked the country.

The 56-year-old Kirsten, a qualified and highly experienced professional coach who held successful coaching jobs with India and South Africa in the past and was appointed Pakistan head coach in April this year for a two-year period, silently left the PCB without giving any reason in public.

Though PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that the former South African Test opener himself resigned, only time will tell what caused the abrupt separation between the two parties. On the face of it however, one can safely assume, the end would not have been rosy.

Some very recent media reports suggest that Kirsten, who the PCB said last Sunday would join the Pakistan white-ball squad in Melbourne on Monday (coincidentally the day he resigned!), was not consulted on team selection for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe (to be followed by the series Down Under).

Earlier this month, the PCB altered the selection committee, yet again, by excluding the coach and captain from the selection body which must have irked Kirsten.

If the team management issues have been managed improperly by the PCB, matters concerning captaincy have also been bungled.

Babar Azam’s resignation as captain from all formats straightaway after the 2023 World Cup disaster in India which was immediately followed by the one-series appointment of Shaheen Shah Afridi as T20 skipper and his subsequent sacking; Babar’s reinstatement as white-ball captain in March and his resignation from the same duty in the wake of the national team’s embarrassing crash at the T20 World Cup, earlier this month which resulted in Rizwan getting the white-ball mantle. This perplexing and wobbly scenario has only weakened Pakistan cricket which if not taken care of timely may experience further decline.

Pakistan will be playing the first ODI in Melbourne on Nov 4 after almost a year. They last played an ODI at the World Cup.

How the boys, now under Rizwan, will cope with the challenge on the forthcoming Australia tour remains a big question given the demanding conditions and the resilience of the traditionally ruthless opponents who outsmarted India on their soil in the all-important World Cup decider.

After almost an inordinate delay of four months, the PCB finally awarded the 2024-25 central contracts last Sunday. And how can they be without a few surprises.

Regarded a match-winner in white-ball formats, Fakhar Zaman, over his social media quote controversy, besides being overlooked for the Australia and Zimbabwe tours, was also denied a contract. Though Mohsin has claimed that below-par physical fitness was more prominent than the quote issue in Fakhar’s omission, one hopes, against hope, the matter would be tackled prudently by the authorities concerned well before the Champions Trophy, purely for Pakistan’s interests.

The more striking case, however, is of all-rounder Shadab Khan who has been given category ‘C’ contract. One strongly understands that the faltering all-rounder who has long remained out of sorts in international white-ball cricket that dented the greenshirts on several crucial occasions did not deserve a contract.

Currently, Pakistan only have one title — the Champions Trophy — under their belt. And as hosts they have a golden chance to retain it. However, achieving this target will require a master plan and its near-flawless execution.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif in a very recent comment signalled whatever is happening in the PCB will have consequences.

“Nobody [in national cricket set-up] is looking after the country,” he said. “The decisions which are being taken now, will have far-reaching effects on Pakistan cricket in the long run.”

One hopes the top decision makers and other stakeholders in the PCB realise this, and act judiciously, before time runs out.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2024