"Really up to them to decide" - Gary Kirsten warns players as Pakistan face group-stage exit in T20 World Cup 2024

Pakistan head coach Gary Kirsten has warned the squad's senior players after their poor performances in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The former Team India coach believes senior players must step up their game as per modern standards or get left behind.

The Men in Green's T20 World Cup 2024 run is hanging by a thread after losing to USA and India. Pakistan's batting unit has not clicked so far, characterized by the top-order's inability to play with a brisk strike rate.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the match against Canada on Tuesday, Kirsten said the players will face backlash in case of poor performances, stating:

"These guys are all international players and they're aware that when they're not performing at their best that there's going to be pressure put on them. That's understandable, but a lot of these guys have played a lot of T20 cricket around the world over many, many years and it's really up to them to decide how they're going to take their games forward."

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan's performances against USA and India, respectively, have come under plenty of criticism, as their lack of intent cost Pakistan. Babar scored 44 off 43 deliveries against USA, while Rizwan perished for 31 off 44 balls against India.

"The game is changing pretty much every year" - Gary Kirsten

Kirsten further underlined the need to keep evolving, given how fast the game is changing every passing year. He added:

"I think for me the most important thing for every international player is that you continue growing and developing as a player, and understanding what the demands of international competition are. The game is changing pretty much every year. So, if you're not up to it and you're not improving, you're going to get found out somewhere."

Pakistan not only need to beat Ireland and Canada comprehensively, but also hope for USA to lose their remaining fixtures with an inferior net run-rate.