'His presence should be beneficial for us all' - Babar Azam reposes faith in Gary Kirsten to change Pakistan's cricket fortunes

Pakistan's white-ball captain, Babar Azam, is high on confidence and is optimistic about the recent appointment of Gary Kirsten as the team's new head coach for white-ball cricket.

Kirsten, a seasoned campaigner with a wealth of coaching experience, has been given the responsibility of changing Pakistan's fortunes in the upcoming T20 World Cup and beyond.

Kirsten's arrival to the Pakistan camp marks his third stint as an international coach, having previously guided the Indian and South African national teams to success. His impressive resume includes leading India to the 2011 World Cup triumph and overseeing South Africa's rise to the top of the Test rankings.

In a recent media interaction, Babar expressed his confidence in Kirsten's ability to bring about a positive change in Pakistan's cricketing fortunes.

"He (Kirsten) is a very experienced coach, and his presence should be beneficial for us all. He is already taking a lot of interest in the planning for the World Cup and discussing strategy with the team management," Babar said.

Kirsten has wasted no time in establishing a good communication channel with the team, regularly receiving updates on their training and preparation.

"He (Kirsten) shares his plans with us, discussions are happening with coaches about our planning, and we update him on net practice plans, like how the bowling practice went today," he said as quoted by The Hindu.

Also read: If Pakistan lose World Cup, the board will blame Kirsten or Babar Azam: Rashid Latif

There is little time for rotation: Babar Azam

Babar dismissed concerns over selection issues and assured that all decisions would be made with the team's interests in mind. He emphasized the importance of allowing young players time to settle into international cricket, giving support from the management. 

"I think there is little time for rotation now because the World Cup is around the corner, and in the remaining matches. We will try to give the team we want to play with in the World Cup a proper opportunity," Babar continued.

Also read: Babar Azam backs Pakistan youngsters to come good

Looking ahead to the highly anticipated clash against India, Babar acknowledged the need to devise strategies to counter the in-form Virat Kohli. However, he stressed that Pakistan's focus would be on formulating plans against the entire opposition lineup, not just specific individuals. 

"The thing is, we plan against all eleven players of a team, and we don't know much about how the conditions will be in New York. But yes, he [Kohli] is one of the best players, and we will plan against him as well," Babar said.

"Whatever success I achieved previously as captain was because of the players who supported me, and the same is true now. Important is the board is backing us completely to do well," he concluded.