Flower shared his thoughts on who should lead the Men in Green moving forward
16 June, 2024
PHOTO: AFP
Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower has weighed in on Pakistan’s ongoing captaincy debate following their early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 currently being co-hosted by the USA and West Indies.
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Flower shared his thoughts on who should lead the Men in Green moving forward.
“As far as the leadership is concerned, Shadab Khan is out of the running because he is not doing his primary job well. I don’t think they will go back to Shaheen which leaves Babar and Rizwan as the option. Rizwan I think, is an excellent leader of men. He has got a big heart and he has got ample integrity and people follow him. I think he is an option for them,” Flower said.
Flower also analyzed where Pakistan faltered during the T20 World Cup, attributing their struggles to abrupt leadership changes and the introduction of a new head coach.
“They made some quite radical changes just prior to the World Cup. They brought Babar back as captain and relegated Shaheen. They also brought back Imad Wasim from the wilderness along with Mohammad Amir. So, big changes just prior to the tournament starting but I think these changes should have strengthened Pakistan,” he said.
Gary Kirsten’s challenging start as head coach of the Pakistan cricket team was another point of concern for Flower. Kirsten, who has previously led India and South Africa to significant successes, including India’s 2011 World Cup win, faced difficulties in his new role.
“What a tough start for Gary Kirsten as a coach coming in fresh, he obviously could not mould the side. He did not have time to mould the side into a unit he would fully understand,” he said.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s performance throughout the tournament, Flower noted that the team appeared to be under constant pressure, affecting their play.
“Pakistan looked as if they were panicking. Not only when they were under severe pressure but even just in normal competitive cricketing situations they looked like they were panicking a little in the field and with the ball and bat. So, they have got a lot of work to do. Gary Kirsten’s got a lot of work to do to get them back on track,” he concluded.
