'Politics After Politics': Basit Ali Launches Angry Rant Against Pakistan Cricket Board & Gary Kirsten

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has said that Gary Kirsten stepped down from his coaching role at the right time, even while maintaining that he made unreasonable demands during his tenure that the Pakistan Cricket Board couldn't have fulfilled. Kirsten resigned six months into his role as Pakistan's white-ball coach, during which Pakistan exited the T20 World Cup in the group stage. Basit Ali has suggested that Kirsten had maintained that he wouldn't coach Pakistan if Babar Azam wasn't part of the team. He added that Kirsten wanted Mohammad Haris to be the new white-ball skipper after Babar's exit. Basit Ali also said that there is a lot of politics within the Pakistan Cricket Board at the moment and the future doesn't look very bright. "He stepped down at the right time. It was a well-thought-out move. Politics after politics. There are a lot of things but I choose to stay silent because Pakistan's cricket is getting worse and I don't want that to happen. Things will be worse in the coming days," Basit Ali said while speaking on his YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eF7YxBeWNo

"Gary Kirsten is acting very innocent now. How can you say that I will not coach the team if Babar Azam is not there? How can you do that just for an individual? You wanted to make Mohammad Haris the captain. Why should we listen to you? Did you go to the Emerging Teams Asia Cup to see Haris? Let that kid play, why are you doing such injustice with him? You just watched the Emerging Teams Asia Cup on television," Basit Ali said. The former cricketer added that Kirsten wasn't in favour of Mohammad Rizwan getting the leadership in ODIs and T20Is. "Gary Kirsten did not want Mohammad Rizwan to be the captain and Shaheen Afridi to be in the team. Is this Pakistan's team or Gary Kirsten's team? He got a shut-up call from Aaqib Javed," Basit Ali said. Pakistan will play Australia in three ODIs and as many T20Is from Sunday, November 3 and will be one of Rizwan's biggest assignments.