“It’s not great news…”- Former Pakistani International cricketer Ramiz Raja fears ‘backlash’ following Kirsten’s resignation

New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket has undergone a dramatic overhaul in the last few days—be it the appointment of Mohammad Rizwan as the new white-ball captain, Gary Kirsten’s resignation from ODI and T20I coaching, or Jason Gillespie’s taking over as all-format head coach. Every decision taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board will have a lasting impact on the team’s fortune in the immediate or near future.

However, former Pakistani International and PCB Chief Ramiz Raja feels that Gary Kirsten’s resignation is the most significant decision for Pakistani cricket. Speaking to the reporters, Ramiz said that the Pakistan Cricket Board has faced backlash from Gary Kirsten’s resignation.

Furthermore, the former PCB chief reiterated the fact that Pakistani cricket is in dire need of experience and the stepping down of Kirsten complicates things for Pakistan. In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, Raja said:

It’s not great news [Kirsten’s departure] because Pakistan needed an experienced hand. From a distance, it doesn’t look great just before a tour…

Meanwhile, newly appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and coach Jason Gillespie have a tough white-ball calendar ahead as the Men in Green begin their tour of Australia followed by a tour of Zimbabwe.

Pakistan’s white ball teams for Zimbabwe and Australia

Australia

ODI squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

T20I squad: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan.

Zimbabwe

ODI squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir.

T20I squad: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.