Gary Kirsten leads strategic talks

LAHORE:

In a bid to revitalize Pakistan's white-ball cricket fortunes and ensure a successful campaign at the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the national team's head coach, Gary Kirsten, has embarked on a series of consultations and strategic planning.

The former South African cricketer, who is currently in Faisalabad, held a meeting with the mentors and head coaches of the Champions Cup teams to discuss potential improvements and refine the team's approach. High-performance specialist David Reid and Director HP & Champions Cup Nadeem Khan also participated in the session.

Renowned figures like Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Sarfaraz Ahmed shared their invaluable insights on player selection, addressing weaknesses, team planning, and other crucial aspects based on their extensive experience.

Kirsten emphasized the importance of mental strength and urged the mentors and head coaches to share their experiences with the players to help them elevate their game. He also stressed the need for collaboration, information exchange, and learning from each other's expertise.

"Individuals can win matches, but series and titles are won through teamwork," Kirsten said.

Kirsten announced his commitment to remain in Faisalabad throughout the Champions Cup, attending all matches live to assess player performances. He plans to use these observations to compile a list of potential players for future selections, aiming to strengthen Pakistan's white-ball cricket lineup for the forthcoming tournament.

With a packed schedule from November 2024 to April 2025, featuring T20 Internationals and One Day Internationals against Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and New Zealand, Pakistan has a golden opportunity to fine-tune their skills ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to be hosted in Pakistan in February/March.

The team will also participate in a tri-nation ODI series with New Zealand and South Africa prior to the prestigious tournament.

ICC delegation arrives

in Pakistan

The International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation has arrived in Pakistan to assess the preparations for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. The team, which touched down in Karachi from Dubai, will be conducting a thorough review of the arrangements made for the prestigious tournament.

In the initial phase of their visit, the delegation will inspect the National Bank Stadium in Karachi today.

They will scrutinize the ongoing construction work and renovations, as well as evaluate the facilities provided. PCB officials will brief the ICC members on various administrative aspects, and security officials will provide an overview of the safety measures in place.

Following their inspection in Karachi, the delegation will travel to Lahore and Rawalpindi to review the progress of stadium construction in these cities. This marks the fourth ICC delegation to visit Pakistan; earlier visits were conducted by security, event management, and pitch consultants.

The five-member ICC delegation includes a Senior Events Manager, Events Manager, Security Manager, General Manager of Cricket, and Production Manager. Their itinerary includes a visit to Rawalpindi on Thursday and Lahore on Friday, with their departure for Dubai scheduled for the following day.

Notable ICC officials who have previously visited Pakistan include former Security Manager David McCrae, Head of Events Chris Tetley, and ICC Pitch Consultant Andy Atkinson.

The ICC delegation comprises Sarah Edgar (Senior Manager of Events), Aun Muhammad Zaidi (Event Manager), Wasim Khan (GM of Cricket), David Musgrave (Security Manager), and Mansoor Manj (ICC Broadcast Consultant).