Improve Fitness or Get Out of the Team: Coach Gary Kirsten’s Final Ultimatum to Pakistan Players

Following a disappointing group stage elimination in the T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan’s white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has issued a decisive ultimatum to the team.

Gary Kirsten has expressed his concern over the Pakistan cricket team’s poor fitness, stating that he will enforce strict fitness criteria for team selection going forward.

For the second consecutive ICC event, Pakistan has been eliminated in the group stage. They faced a similar fate in the 2023 ODI World Cup, held in India last year.

As reported by Geo News, here’s what Gary Kirsten said:

“If we want to compete in the world, we have to improve our fitness and skills and be united. We are way behind in terms of fitness! Only the players who want to improve on their fitness will remain in the team.”

The fitness standards of the Pakistan cricket team have long been problematic, as evidenced by the selection of wicket-keeper batter Azam Khan for the 2024 T20 World Cup despite his inadequate fitness.

However, he only managed to play one game against the USA before being dropped. Gary Kirsten now insists that every player on the Pakistan cricket team must improve their fitness before being considered for selection.

Following Pakistan’s group-stage elimination in the 2024 T20 World Cup, reports indicate that several players, including captain Babar Azam, plan to vacation in London before returning home.