Jason Gillespie, coach of the Pakistan men’s Test team, wants his side to have an aggressive approach when being in dominant positions against their opponents. However, Pakistan’s latest Test series was the home series against Bangladesh – where it ended 0-2 for Pakistan. During the series, Pakistan ensued their first-ever Test match and series defeat against Bangladesh as well. Reflecting on the series, Gillespie felt that the scoreline was deceiving as well.
“We showed glimpses of quality in the Test series against Bangladesh, where we were really driving the game forward. We played some excellent cricket, both with the bat and the ball. The issue was that we didn’t sustain it long enough. When we allowed our opponents to get into the game, they capitalised and pulled ahead. That’s where we let ourselves down,” said Gillespie in the podcast conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“What we need is a bit more ruthlessness. When we’re ahead, we need to stay ahead and make sure we really drive home that advantage. That’s the main takeaway from the Bangladesh series. There was some very good work done, but when we had a bad hour, it really set us back. We need to minimise those poor periods and maximize the good ones,” he further added.
However, the task wasn’t easier for Pakistan whose next assignment is the home series against England as well, which will begin next week. Given the brand of cricket England plays, particularly with the bat, Gillespie is well aware of the potential threat that awaits his team as well. However, the difference in the England squad this time around is the absence of James Anderson (retirement), Mark Wood (injury) and Ollie Robinson (dropped). Gillespie doesn’t feel that the absence of key players won’t weaken England’s squad.
“We can only prepare to play against the players that England has selected. While some of their players might be a bit inexperienced, they’ve shown that they can perform at the Test level. We need to ensure that we are as well-prepared and focused as possible to go out and deliver our best. We’re playing at home and we believe that we match up well against England. We’re excited about the opportunity. We know it’s going to be a great challenge, and we’re really looking forward to it. I’ve spoken to the players over the last little while and they love playing Test cricket for Pakistan. They take pride in representing their country and want to inspire the Pakistani supporters. They’re excited to be playing Test cricket against England – that’s a wonderful challenge. As an Australian in the Pakistan camp, I also enjoy playing against England. So, I’m very excited and I know the players are looking forward to getting stuck into camp after a brief break. They’re eager to prepare for this Test series,” he added.
However, a major talking point during Pakistan’s loss to Bangladesh was the team selection. Pakistan faced severe criticism when they went for an all-pace attack on a surface that helped spinners. Moreover, Bangladesh’s specialist spinners proved too hot to handle as opposed to Pakistan’s part-time options as well. Notably, Pakistan have only opted for three specialist pacers – Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Mir Hamza with all-rounder Aamer Jamal being the other pace option as well.
“After the selections were made, they were communicated to the players, and I followed up with further communication. I let them know that if they wanted to have further conversations, my door was open. The players understand that. Look, all players are disappointed when they miss out. I’d be surprised if they weren’t. But what I’m learning is that the players understand my philosophy regarding selection. We want to back and support players. Of course, if performances are not at the required level over a prolonged period, we may consider making changes. I’m relatively new to this role and I’ve only been involved in two Test matches. That’s not a big enough sample size to make long-term decisions on players. I’d rather show my support and backing for them at this stage,” he again shared.
“It’s very clear how England approaches their cricket. I don’t particularly like the term “Bazball,” but they do play aggressive cricket. We’ve seen them evolve their game and that’s how they want to play. We will play our way, striving to be a consistent and disciplined team that hangs in there and strikes at the right moment to drive the game forward and exploit gaps. That’s our strategy. We want to challenge our opposition as well. When opportunities arise, we’ll look to take them on, whether with the bat or the ball. This makes for a fascinating series, and it’s really exciting. A lot of people are writing us off, and that’s okay – that’s fine. It will only motivate our boys a little bit more. We’ll go out and do our jobs as best we can, and hopefully, the results will take care of themselves,” he concluded.
