Pakistan cricket team’s white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has demanded professionalism and unity among players in the men’s national team. Speaking at a press conference arranged by the country’s cricket board on Monday, September 23, Kirsten said that there was need to bring back pride in the Pakistan cricket team.

Kirsten’s comments come on the first day of the ‘Connection Camp’ and arrangement by the Pakistan Cricket Board where the management and a select few players have come together to discuss the roadmap for Pakistan cricket.

Pakistan have had a terrible time in world cricket of late. In the latest ODI and T20 World Cups, Pakistan were knocked out in the group stage and recently lost their first ever home Test series against Bangladesh as well. The Pakistan team looked divided into factions, rumours that even Test captain Shan Masood was forced to address in the press conference earlier.

Speaking about cricket in Pakistan, Kirsten demanded three vital traits from the players – professionalism, pride and unity while playing for the national team.

“It was a fantastic time today to be part of this connection camp. I think the intention around it was to align our purposes for the team. I think we all agree we want the Pakistan team to be as successful as it possibly can be across all the formats. And we spend today just going through the various things that can help us and help the team be the best version of itself. So I think, from the team and the players in terms of their levels of professionalism, was one thing that we spoke about that was really important. And I think the commitments around making sure that they are. And present themselves as best they can for the for the nation, and to bring pride back into Pakistan cricket,” Kirsten said in the press conference.

The former India coach said that everyone in Pakistan wanted their cricket team to succeed but certain steps needed to be followed before they started winning matches, series and tournaments again.

“I think we we all want a successful team, don’t we, and we want the team to do well in everything that they play in. And there’s no reason why it can’t. It’s a very talented cricket team across all the formats, but there are processes that you need to put in place. And this and I think that’s what we focusing on. We want to know that we got a robust system in the country and that there’s competition for places, and that our team is unified in its approach to competing against the best teams in the world,” Kirsten concluded on the matter.

Pakistan is hosting the Champions Trophy in 2025 and will hope to bounce back under the leadership of Babar Azam.