Jason Gillespie performance watch as Pakistan's red-ball coach

[MenInG]

Standby for a one the best interviews we've done as Saj becomes the first journalist to speak to Jason Gillespie after his appointment as Pakistan's new red ball Head Coach.

Great to see a true admirer of Test cricket taking over the coaching role for Pakistan.

Also someone who actually believes in our strength as a fast-bowling nation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1789623031943290905

Full interview out soon.

 

[FearlessRoar]

A significant achievement would be if he brings Haris Rauf into test cricket and helps him become one of the legendary test bowlers.

 

[emranabbas]

Jason Gillespie is out of touch with pakistan cricket, gone are the days of wasim, waqar, shoaib.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

depends where we will play most of our cricket, in sub continent i dont think we can go with 4 pacers as the wickets here mostly supports spin so we have to find some effective spinners too who can get u wickets.

 

[cricketmania22]

that’s not reassuring.. seems like wrong man for the job! He doesn’t even know we have depleted our fast bowing pool.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

4 fast bowlers in Test matches in Pakistan ?

 

[FearlessRoar]

4 fast bowlers in Test matches in Pakistan ?

Yes and its not a new strategy

 

[RidiculousMan]

4 fast bowlers in Test matches in Pakistan ?

Shaheen, Naseem, Mir and Jamal? I mean Pakistan should be looking to groom Jamal as a no. 7 pace all rounder

 

[Professionalismandflair]

What about the chronic lack of quality spinners in the team?!

 

[Professionalismandflair]

Shaheen, Naseem, Mir and Jamal? I mean Pakistan should be looking to groom Jamal as a no. 7 pace all rounder

Forget Rauf. He’s not good enough.

 

[Misia]

More chance they will bring Yasir and Ajmal back

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Shaheen, Naseem, Mir and Jamal? I mean Pakistan should be looking to groom Jamal as a no. 7 pace all rounder

Acceptable if Jamal is the 4th seamer.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

We have a good battery of fast bowlers with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Hasnain, Ihsanullah, Arshad Iqbal, Dahani, Wasim jr,
Mir Hamza, Amir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer etc.

Aamir Jamal as an allrounder.

Shaheen and Naseem cant play all the games in all the formats.

I hope Huraira gets a shot with the bat.

 

[shaz619]

‘Attack’ opposition with the ‘bat’ using the Soooperstar Boober, Molvi Riswan, Ifti Cobra and Shadab Klusner

 

[DeadlyVenom]

‘Attack’ opposition with the ‘bat’ using the Soooperstar Boober, Molvi Riswan, Ifti Cobra and Shadab Klusner

Tbf the test batting line up is ok. Babar and Rizwan have done ok. Babar is underperforming overall but the numbers are respectable enough. Abdullah, Said too look like they have potential

Our bowling is shockingly poor. We just throw bowlers in without a plan and hope for the best. Mir Hamza and Aamer Jamaal performed reasonably in Australia. I hope Gillespie gives them a long run. The lack of a spinner really kills us though.

Chacha Cobra should also definitely be in the mix for tests. I still remember his debut he bowled out Jimmy and we needed only 40 to win. I remember it fondly as Chacha was older on his debut than he is now.

 

[ElRaja]

you cant learn to bowl in test matches with no first class experience. hardly any of the premier players play any first class cricket, then get pumped in test matches so bad that they are always under pressure and unwilling to try anything.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

you cant learn to bowl in test matches with no first class experience. hardly any of the premier players play any first class cricket, then get pumped in test matches so bad that they are always under pressure and unwilling to try anything.

You could fashion an ok line up depending on the conditions from:

Mir Hamza
Mohammed Ali
Aamer Jamaal
Khurram Shazad
Shaheen Shah
Naseem

Abbas (long shot but conditions permitting).

On paper its a coachable team.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

you cant learn to bowl in test matches with no first class experience. hardly any of the premier players play any first class cricket, then get pumped in test matches so bad that they are always under pressure and unwilling to try anything.

To their credit, they did select Aamer Jamal, Mir Hamza and Khurram Shahzad based on their FC performances. Question is will we see more of that in the future or are they going to do more brainless things like expecting Haris Rauf to play test matches?

 

[shaz619]

Tbf the test batting line up is ok. Babar and Rizwan have done ok. Babar is underperforming overall but the numbers are respectable enough. Abdullah, Said too look like they have potential

Our bowling is shockingly poor. We just throw bowlers in without a plan and hope for the best. Mir Hamza and Aamer Jamaal performed reasonably in Australia. I hope Gillespie gives them a long run. The lack of a spinner really kills us though.

Chacha Cobra should also definitely be in the mix for tests. I still remember his debut he bowled out Jimmy and we needed only 40 to win. I remember it fondly as Chacha was older on his debut than he is now.

The bowling has been terrible, but they’ve have had little assistance from the pitches. The least you expect from a good Test side is to do decently against top sides at home. The batters have inflated numbers due to pitches you expect them to score runs on. Gillespie has a lot of work to do from getting rid of the selfishness in the team to overall team strategy, Pakistan ought to start maximising their strengths at home before even thinking about overseas. Overall they are a horrible Test side, can’t be expected to 100% beat any team other than Lanka or the West Indies home or away. As for Chacha, somebody should find a pillow when he’s fast asleep, only way to stop the de-aging process.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The bowling has been terrible, but they’ve have had little assistance from the pitches. The least you expect from a good Test side is to do decently against top sides at home. The batters have inflated numbers due to pitches you expect them to score runs on. Gillespie has a lot of work to do from getting rid of the selfishness in the team to overall team strategy, Pakistan ought to start maximising their strengths at home before even thinking about overseas. Overall they are a horrible Test side, can’t be expected to 100% beat any team other than Lanka or the West Indies home or away. As for Chacha, somebody should find a pillow when he’s fast asleep, only way to stop the de-aging process.

Yeah thats our level for now

We should be aiming at beating all sides at home and prepare pitches accordingly - but will struggle against Aus, NZ and perhaps England.

Away from home we should be aiming to beat - Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies ( won't be easy if they make a pacy wicket and competing against NZ and South Africa.

Thats our level for now. I actually advocated we stopped with the test match stuff but the PCB has surprised me with a top class coach appointment. Maybe there is something that can be salvaged.

 

[ElRaja]

You could fashion an ok line up depending on the conditions from:

Mir Hamza
Mohammed Ali
Aamer Jamaal
Khurram Shazad
Shaheen Shah
Naseem

Abbas (long shot but conditions permitting).

On paper its a coachable team.

To their credit, they did select Aamer Jamal, Mir Hamza and Khurram Shahzad based on their FC performances. Question is will we see more of that in the future or are they going to do more brainless things like expecting Haris Rauf to play test matches?

the fact that at least half of these bowlers fail to crack 130, let alone 140 in tests consistently is abysmal, yes FC will churn out loads of 120 kph dobblers.

wasim, waqar, shoaib, and imran were all around 140 or more, asif is the only sub 130 bowler who was world class.

unless you have a shorter sharper first class season in which your premier fast bowlers have to play at least 4 or 5 games a season they will not develop the match fitness, and mental aptitude to be test bowlers.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

the fact that at least half of these bowlers fail to crack 130, let alone 140 in tests consistently is abysmal, yes FC will churn out loads of 120 kph dobblers.

wasim, waqar, shoaib, and imran were all around 140 or more, asif is the only sub 130 bowler who was world class.

unless you have a shorter sharper first class season in which your premier fast bowlers have to play at least 4 or 5 games a season they will not develop the match fitness, and mental aptitude to be test bowlers.

What you are saying is a deeper structural issue that will take time to fix and then more time to reap rewards. Frankly I don't think that there is the will the fix it as by the time we reap rewards test cricket may be finished.

The bowlers I listed can keep us semi competitive for a few years. We aren't going to be a top test side but hopefully Gillespie can help mold is into a decent mid range side that can hold its own at home and maybe cause the occasional upset away.

That's honestly the limit of my expectations

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

the fact that at least half of these bowlers fail to crack 130, let alone 140 in tests consistently is abysmal, yes FC will churn out loads of 120 kph dobblers.

wasim, waqar, shoaib, and imran were all around 140 or more, asif is the only sub 130 bowler who was world class.

unless you have a shorter sharper first class season in which your premier fast bowlers have to play at least 4 or 5 games a season they will not develop the match fitness, and mental aptitude to be test bowlers.

Pace and height is essential for a test match pacer.

21 years old (non fudged age) max,No shorter than 5'11, decent intellect and 135k+ pace.

I wish the coaches try to dig in and find out why these types of bowlers aren't coming through but this is really the selectors job. What are the day to day duites of this selection panel? Anyone know? I only see them showing up when its time to announce the squad. What else do they do?

 

[shariqnoor]

Lol. Mickey Arthur 2.0. These useless foreigners who have no clue on the dynamics of Pakistan cricket come in and rake in millions of dollars and leave leaving the team in tatters. Better off giving those millions to a person like Abdur Rehman who has honed his craft in the domestic and knows Pakistani domestic players in and out.

 

[ElRaja]

What you are saying is a deeper structural issue that will take time to fix and then more time to reap rewards. Frankly I don't think that there is the will the fix it as by the time we reap rewards test cricket may be finished.

The bowlers I listed can keep us semi competitive for a few years. We aren't going to be a top test side but hopefully Gillespie can help mold is into a decent mid range side that can hold its own at home and maybe cause the occasional upset away.

That's honestly the limit of my expectations

but can u really get excited for a team with those kinda bowlers, tests without the excitement of the individual battles can be immensely tedious, could u imagine waking up at 5am to watch Mohamad ali, khurrum shehzad and mir hamza bowl?

Pace and height is essential for a test match pacer.

21 years old (non fudged age) max,No shorter than 5'11, decent intellect and 135k+ pace.

I wish the coaches try to dig in and find out why these types of bowlers aren't coming through but this is really the selectors job. What are the day to day duites of this selection panel? Anyone know? I only see them showing up when its time to announce the squad. What else do they do?

well given Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world where average height is declining and absolutely shocking levels of basic literacy and education, your qualifying conditions become fairly unrealistic before u even put in the age cap and physical athleticism.

 

[topspin]

Lol. Mickey Arthur 2.0. These useless foreigners who have no clue on the dynamics of Pakistan cricket come in and rake in millions of dollars and leave leaving the team in tatters. Better off giving those millions to a person like Abdur Rehman who has honed his craft in the domestic and knows Pakistani domestic players in and out.

No other reasons for wanting him to coach Pakistan?

 

[BouncerGuy]

4 pacers is understandable if the 4th guy is Aamer Jamal type guy who can bowl express pace and can bat as well. Otherwise its formula is pretty hard to implement in Pakistan team because we all know, how bad this team is when it comes to overseas conditions. We cannot play 4 specialist pacers, 1 or 2 spinners and other batters. We need an all-rounder fast bowler like jamal and if makes sense.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

‘Attack’ opposition with the ‘bat’ using the Soooperstar Boober, Molvi Riswan, Ifti Cobra and Shadab Klusner

Ifti isnt part of the test set up and Shadab has been out for a while.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

4 pacers is understandable if the 4th guy is Aamer Jamal type guy who can bowl express pace and can bat as well. Otherwise its formula is pretty hard to implement in Pakistan team because we all know, how bad this team is when it comes to overseas conditions. We cannot play 4 specialist pacers, 1 or 2 spinners and other batters. We need an all-rounder fast bowler like jamal and if makes sense.

Jamal will play as an all rounder in tests at No 7.

 

[Savak]

To play 4 pacers in Pakistan, you have to instruct the groundsman to prepare a green wicket

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

but can u really get excited for a team with those kinda bowlers, tests without the excitement of the individual battles can be immensely tedious, could u imagine waking up at 5am to watch Mohamad ali, khurrum shehzad and mir hamza bowl?

well given Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world where average height is declining and absolutely shocking levels of basic literacy and education, your qualifying conditions become fairly unrealistic before u even put in the age cap and physical athleticism.

The fact of the matter is when a government is corrupt education is not going to be at the forefront because they feel scared to be challenged by the population which is what has been happening for decades.

But I K brought a change and has taught the population that their rights matter and given them a sense of reality (Shaoor),
access to free medical care, etc.

People from less fortunate backgrounds are forced to send their children to work to earn money to put food on the table.

Malnutrition is inevitable under these circumstances.

We have plenty of tall pacers coming through aside of Shaheen.

The likes of Ihssanullah, Zeeshan Zameer, Hasnain, Arshad iqbal etc.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

To their credit, they did select Aamer Jamal, Mir Hamza and Khurram Shahzad based on their FC performances. Question is will we see more of that in the future or are they going to do more brainless things like expecting Haris Rauf to play test matches?

Haris Rauf would be asset if he decided to play test cricket with his pace and ability to bowl yorkers to clear up the tail.

on flat dead wickets you need pace to beat the bat.

130 k bowlers wont get the results.

Test allows a bowler to refine their skills and you dont have to be concerned with wides and bowl full throttle.

Its a mindset thing.

You have to want to be a test cricketer.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Jamal will play as an all rounder in tests at No 7.

Yes, and he should be playing more games. No need to drop him if he flops in 1 series. He is a future of this team and has the fighting spirit to improve.

Who will be the other 3 pacers? SHaheen? Naseem and???

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Haris Rauf would be asset if he decided to play test cricket with his pace and ability to bowl yorkers to clear up the tail.

on flat dead wickets you need pace to beat the bat.

130 k bowlers wont get the results.

Test allows a bowler to refine their skills and you dont have to be concerned with wides and bowl full throttle.

Its a mindset thing.

You have to want to be a test cricketer.

Haris Rauf is 30 and has played what, 9 FC matches in his life? His body will break down and he will likely suffer numerous different injuries if he tries to play test cricket. Because his body and his muscles are not used to bowling that many overs at that pace. And at this age, its unlikely that he ever will be. Rather than being able to get something out of him in limited-overs, we will be left with nothing. It's not a mindset thing, its a common sense thing.

 

[TheSultan]

I would love 4 fast bowlers in the team. However, you need to prepare for it, you need a strategy that will take advantage of it. You need a good combination of those 4 fast bowlers. You need a tactically astute captain.

Jason Gillespie may have a plan to put this in action. However, I do not trust our on field sleepy, simpleton captain who is clueless.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

Yes, and he should be playing more games. No need to drop him if he flops in 1 series. He is a future of this team and has the fighting spirit to improve.

Who will be the other 3 pacers? SHaheen? Naseem and???

Ihsanullah when fit will be my first choice with his pace and bounce to join the eagle and Nas.

Hasnain, Wasim jr, Zeeshan zameer, Arshad Iqbal, Muhammad Ali etc.

we have plenty of options.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

Haris Rauf is 30 and has played what, 9 FC matches in his life? His body will break down and he will likely suffer numerous different injuries if he tries to play test cricket. Because his body and his muscles are not used to bowling that many overs at that pace. And at this age, its unlikely that he ever will be. Rather than being able to get something out of him in limited-overs, we will be left with nothing. It's not a mindset thing, its a common sense thing.

You misunderstand the point.

He would bowl 4 over bursts at top pace in an enforcer role.

His role would be to take 2 or 3 wickets in a spell and to mop up the tail with reverse.

It is a mindset thing if he wants to play Test cricket and the pinnacle of the sport.

Shoaib played with injections in his knees and all sorts of injuries to be the killer he was.

The aim of the bowlers should be to take wickets as quickly as possible not we must bowl 20 -25 overs each.

We lack the killer mindset.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

You misunderstand the point.

He would bowl 4 over bursts at top pace in an enforcer role.

His role would be to take 2 or 3 wickets in a spell and to mop up the tail with reverse.

It is a mindset thing if he wants to play Test cricket and the pinnacle of the sport.

Shoaib played with injections in his knees and all sorts of injuries to be the killer he was.

The aim of the bowlers should be to take wickets as quickly as possible not we must bowl 20 -25 overs each.

We lack the killer mindset.

Shoaib started playing first class cricket at a very young age. He also came up in an entirely different era where being a limited overs specialist was not a choice you could make. And was also 50 times the bowler that Haris Rauf will ever be.

I agree that we don't have a killer mindset. That is kind of an across the board thing. But this is not about that.

Also, that's not how it works. In test cricket you have to bowl well throughout the day. And with each passing spell you body degrades. Only the best bowlers in the world keep coming back and bowling consistently good spells. Expecting Haris Rauf to play test cricket has disaster written all over it. It will end the same way it ended on his test debut, in injury.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

but can u really get excited for a team with those kinda bowlers, tests without the excitement of the individual battles can be immensely tedious, could u imagine waking up at 5am to watch Mohamad ali, khurrum shehzad and mir hamza bowl?

well given Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world where average height is declining and absolutely shocking levels of basic literacy and education, your qualifying conditions become fairly unrealistic before u even put in the age cap and physical athleticism.

If it was a seaming/helpful wicket I would happily watch them. I think they could be very effective. On the recent phattas of Pindi I think I'd struggle to even watch Shoaib bowl.

Your point about height wasn't directed at me but is a very important one. It's why we won't ever produce a genuine fast bowler again. Maybe someone from KPK will be a random exception.

 

[pakistani pride]

Pakistan should STOP playing TEST cricket, focus on 4 day domestic cricket and groom players from their for the white ball format. It will take a minimum of 5 years to be competitive again in TEST cricket, not sure the format will be even played by then.

 

[shaz619]

Shoaib Akhtar is a different kettle of fish, how he bowled with his deformity at high speeds was an aberration, and he didn’t last long, but it was an aberration that he could play that way for as long as he did. He should also thank Bob Woolmer for helping him prolong his career as he helped him understand that he could still be effective without going at it full throttle, and beyond that Shoaib was a highly skilled bowler who valued red ball cricket to and had FC experience.

Rauf is a completely different player, in-experienced and not fine tuned to the rigours of Test cricket. Besides, I don’t think Pakistan would use him in 4 over bursts and if they did, they’d have to accept that they have half a bowler in their team.

They need to talk to Rauf and find out what his motivations are to, if he is interested in red ball cricket then maybe they can put a plan in place so he can best prepare and have him ready. But Tests are not for everyone.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

Shoaib started playing first class cricket at a very young age. He also came up in an entirely different era where being a limited overs specialist was not a choice you could make. And was also 50 times the bowler that Haris Rauf will ever be.

I agree that we don't have a killer mindset. That is kind of an across the board thing. But this is not about that.

Also, that's not how it works. In test cricket you have to bowl well throughout the day. And with each passing spell you body degrades. Only the best bowlers in the world keep coming back and bowling consistently good spells. Expecting Haris Rauf to play test cricket has disaster written all over it. It will end the same way it ended on his test debut, in injury.

I wasnt comparing Haris with Shoaib who is an ATG in terms of ability.

I was talking injury wise if Shoaib managed to play with injections and countless injuries throughout his career and still be a killer there s nothing stopping Rauf if he has the desire and will to play the pinnacle of the game.

Without express pace test cricket is less challenging for the batters.

It also gives the captain a cutting edge to win test matches.

In test cricket you have good spells and get no reward and at other times you bowl bang average and take a 5 fer.

It isn't necessary to bowl well throughout the day for an express pacer whose there to ruffle feathers and take wickets in clusters and break the backbone of a batting line up during a spell.

As I said earlier 2 - 3 wickets in the first spell and then mopping up the tail.

Consistent line and length is expected throughout the day from an Muhammad Abbas type bowler.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

Tbf the test batting line up is ok. Babar and Rizwan have done ok. Babar is underperforming overall but the numbers are respectable enough. Abdullah, Said too look like they have potential

Our bowling is shockingly poor. We just throw bowlers in without a plan and hope for the best. Mir Hamza and Aamer Jamaal performed reasonably in Australia. I hope Gillespie gives them a long run. The lack of a spinner really kills us though.

Chacha Cobra should also definitely be in the mix for tests. I still remember his debut he bowled out Jimmy and we needed only 40 to win. I remember it fondly as Chacha was older on his debut than he is now.

The batting line up looks decent with this X1.

Shan
ABD
Babar
Saud
Riz
Salman Ali
Aamir Jamal
Shaheen
Naseem
Abrar
Ihsanullah (when fit)

 

[ElRaja]

If it was a seaming/helpful wicket I would happily watch them. I think they could be very effective. On the recent phattas of Pindi I think I'd struggle to even watch Shoaib bowl.

Your point about height wasn't directed at me but is a very important one. It's why we won't ever produce a genuine fast bowler again. Maybe someone from KPK will be a random exception.

most tall Pakistani bowlers (and pakistanis in general) have been from central or southern punjab, irfan, shabbir, rauf, asif, zeeshan, wasim, talha, etc. shaheen, and umar gul are the only tall pathan quickies i can think of.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Jason has a tough task ahead with this team but TBH, Pakistan is not playing that many red-ball games so Jason won't be able to make any huge difference. I hope at least we can see some structure in the team and some strategic changes during the game otherwise, there is nothing much to do for him.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Pakistan prioritise player management as Masood, Gillespie lead new era in Test cricket

Shan Masood and Jason Gillespie got candid on the latest edition of the PCB Podcast ahead of the Bangladesh Test series.

Pakistan's Test cricket is set to start a new chapter on 21 August, as they face Bangladesh under the new leadership of red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and captain Shan Masood.

The two-match Test series against Bangladesh also signals the start of a busy red-ball schedule for Pakistan, with nine matches slated before January 2025.

After Bangladesh, Pakistan play England in October (three matches, home), South Africa over the New Year (two matches, away) and West Indies in January (two matches, home).

As Shan Masood highlighted on the PCB Podcast, the focus will be on managing player workloads while gradually integrating young talent into the demands of international cricket.

“I think the most exciting thing for us is we are playing nine Test matches in a space of 4-5 months. That doesn't happen in a year,” Masood said.

“A good year would be 7 Test matches. There will be years where we play 5-6 Test matches. So playing 9 Test matches in a row is what everyone is looking forward to, 7 of them being at home.

“Yes, there are certain all-format players, especially fast bowlers where you have to manage their workload. Like we had with Shaheen in Australia, he played two Test matches on the bounce and we had to rest him for the third one because we had a heavy schedule coming up for him as a player.:

“We will keep looking at that but the exciting stuff is that in our current squad, we have got six exciting fast bowlers. All six of them can make a claim in the Playing XI and all six offer something different.”

“We are equally confident that the ones that step in, the new guys like Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza or Mohammad Ali, even Aamir Jamal to an extent, when they can step in with Shaheen, Naseem or even if one of them isn't available, they all offer something that can win Pakistan games and pick those crucial 20 wickets.”

Jason Gillespie echoed Masood’s approach, emphasizing that throughout the upcoming calendar, the primary focus will be on prioritising Pakistan cricket.

“There are nine Test matches in the next four months. That's just Test cricket, there's domestic cricket, there's white-ball cricket in the 50-over format and T20, not just in Pakistan but all around the world,” Gillespie said.

“We've got multi-format players and we've got to look after them the best we can. The priority is representing Pakistan.”

The series against Bangladesh is part of the World Test Championship cycle, with Pakistan currently sitting in fifth place, holding a points percentage of 36.66.

For Masood and Gillespie, the immediate priority will be to rejuvenate a team that hasn’t played Test cricket since their series against Australia in January and to make a concerted push for one of the top two spots in the World Test Championship standings.

“I think what you'll see is a group of players united, going out together,” Gillespie noted. “They'll all have big smiles on their faces. They'll go out and play positive cricket.

“We don't want to give away too many trade secrets but I think you will see a team that wants to go out and make Pakistan supporters very proud of how they go about their cricket. That's something that's really important to the players.”

Source: ICC

 

[RidiculousMan]

Pakistan prioritise player management as Masood, Gillespie lead new era in Test cricket

Shan Masood and Jason Gillespie got candid on the latest edition of the PCB Podcast ahead of the Bangladesh Test series.

Pakistan's Test cricket is set to start a new chapter on 21 August, as they face Bangladesh under the new leadership of red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and captain Shan Masood.

The two-match Test series against Bangladesh also signals the start of a busy red-ball schedule for Pakistan, with nine matches slated before January 2025.

After Bangladesh, Pakistan play England in October (three matches, home), South Africa over the New Year (two matches, away) and West Indies in January (two matches, home).

Pakistan comeback man - Shan Masood | T20WC 2022
As Shan Masood highlighted on the PCB Podcast, the focus will be on managing player workloads while gradually integrating young talent into the demands of international cricket.

“I think the most exciting thing for us is we are playing nine Test matches in a space of 4-5 months. That doesn't happen in a year,” Masood said.

“A good year would be 7 Test matches. There will be years where we play 5-6 Test matches. So playing 9 Test matches in a row is what everyone is looking forward to, 7 of them being at home.

“Yes, there are certain all-format players, especially fast bowlers where you have to manage their workload. Like we had with Shaheen in Australia, he played two Test matches on the bounce and we had to rest him for the third one because we had a heavy schedule coming up for him as a player.:

“We will keep looking at that but the exciting stuff is that in our current squad, we have got six exciting fast bowlers. All six of them can make a claim in the Playing XI and all six offer something different.”

“We are equally confident that the ones that step in, the new guys like Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza or Mohammad Ali, even Aamir Jamal to an extent, when they can step in with Shaheen, Naseem or even if one of them isn't available, they all offer something that can win Pakistan games and pick those crucial 20 wickets.”

Jason Gillespie echoed Masood’s approach, emphasizing that throughout the upcoming calendar, the primary focus will be on prioritising Pakistan cricket.

“There are nine Test matches in the next four months. That's just Test cricket, there's domestic cricket, there's white-ball cricket in the 50-over format and T20, not just in Pakistan but all around the world,” Gillespie said.

“We've got multi-format players and we've got to look after them the best we can. The priority is representing Pakistan.”

The series against Bangladesh is part of the World Test Championship cycle, with Pakistan currently sitting in fifth place, holding a points percentage of 36.66.

For Masood and Gillespie, the immediate priority will be to rejuvenate a team that hasn’t played Test cricket since their series against Australia in January and to make a concerted push for one of the top two spots in the World Test Championship standings.

“I think what you'll see is a group of players united, going out together,” Gillespie noted. “They'll all have big smiles on their faces. They'll go out and play positive cricket.

“We don't want to give away too many trade secrets but I think you will see a team that wants to go out and make Pakistan supporters very proud of how they go about their cricket. That's something that's really important to the players.”

Source: ICC

I'm watching the PCB Podcast.

When the question of spinner was touched upon. He said that he considers Salman Ali Agha as a specialist spinner as well. Which I found appalling because Salman at best as an all rounder. He is no replacement for a specialist spinner. Salman with the ball averages 50+ in Test matches and 40+ in FC.

I don't know what Gillespie saw in him. Really wanna know why he thinks he is a specialist spinner.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

In a recent PCB podcast, Gillespie praised Nadeem’s achievement and extended an open invitation:

“We would love to have Arshad Nadeem visit the dressing room. I saw all the Shaheens cheering him on during the Olympics. Having him come in and share his gold medal would be a fantastic boost, especially with the Olympic spirit still in the air. As Shan said, it was a wonderful moment, and we extend an open invitation for him to visit the dressing room.”

 

[BouncerGuy]

I remember when Mir Hamza had an interview with Pakpassion and said this:
“Jason Gillespie was undoubtedly a world-class bowler and was part of the Australian team during an era when they dominated world cricket. We will learn a lot from his mindset, how he bowled, and how he maintained his fitness. We will also learn about his attitude during his playing days and how he tried to outplay his opponents. I am very excited and will try to learn from him.”

“I have already played quite a bit of cricket under his coaching when I was playing county cricket for Sussex, where Jason Gillespie was our coach. He is a very good coach, not just for bowlers but for the entire team. He understands the psyche of the players and tries to manage them accordingly, and knows how to run and win a team because, obviously, he is a fighter. You must know that most Australians are fighters, and they try to make their team fight. So, I am very excited for the upcoming Test series.”

-------

Looks like Jason did something right here by looking at the way the bowlers are bowling in the 2nd test match against Bangladesh

 

[FearlessRoar]

Khurram Shahzad during the press conference post day-3 of 2nd Test Between Pakistan and Bangladesh as he claimed maiden Test five wicket haul:

"Credit goes to him. He motivated me a lot and asked me to stay positive and always supported me. I definitely had support from him."

 

[Bewal Express]

Will make no difference to PK test cricket.

 

[Major]

Had this been a local coach losing the first series to a minnow, we would had seen a barrage of criticism. But not because its a foreign coach, everyone is quiet.

So why not have the same standard, irrespective of the nationality?

Gillespie seem to have messed up big time here, and had his batters under prepare

 

[shaz619]

Gillespie received a rude awakening. Pak have bought some good people in and a simple chop/change which they love to do wont fix their deep rooted issues or bringing back cancerous individuals.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Welcome to Pakistan JG..

 

[Shafi]

Had this been a local coach losing the first series to a minnow, we would had seen a barrage of criticism. But not because its a foreign coach, everyone is quiet.

So why not have the same standard, irrespective of the nationality?

Gillespie seem to have messed up big time here, and had his batters under prepare

Let's sack him and bring back Waqar/Saqlain .....

 

[Savak]

He is apparently flying back home to Australia and is only returning just a few days before the start of the English series in October.

Disgraceful, he needs to stay in Pakistan and give explanations and his plan for the side going forward.

 

[mominsaigol]

Had this been a local coach losing the first series to a minnow, we would had seen a barrage of criticism. But not because its a foreign coach, everyone is quiet.

So why not have the same standard, irrespective of the nationality?

Gillespie seem to have messed up big time here, and had his batters under prepare

I've been screaming at Gillsipie on end. Amd people have also questioned me.

I've received comments like "Bro you're a great poster and I enjoy your posts but seriously? This is a bad opinion from you"

Like what bad opinion? He misread the pitch in the 1st test match, and doesn't have the gall to tell management that Shan isn't the one to lead? Nor did he attempt to try hurraira or ghulam? It was clear Abdullah and babar weren't working

 

[mominsaigol]

Let's sack him and bring back Waqar/Saqlain .....

Brother, I'm the biggest aussie fan here so believe me when I tell you, Gillespie regardless of his credentials is a horrible coach for pakistan.

Dude isn't even staying in pakistan? He just said bye and is leaving until he comes back for England?

He either wants a paycheck and does not care or the management isn't letting him do his job or he sucks as a coach for pakistan.

It has to be one of these 3, or all of these 3 or 2 of 3. No other way to put it

 

[mazkhan]

apart from the late great bob Woolmer even he had some hard times , foreign coaches don't work.

And they definetly won't work now since we don't even have superstar match winning players anymore.

For me misbah only seems the logical solution to steady the ship and stop the whole system sink into the abyss.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Another mercenary

 

[Nikhil_cric]

The end of Gillespie's international coaching career. Same as Mickey Arthur.

It's only when they get up close and personal do they realise that none of the players have the talent required.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Australian cricket dodged a huge bullet by not appointing Jason Gillespie as head coach. This man was the clear favourite to succeed Justin Langer, but Pat Cummins and senior players like Warner, Smith, and Starc ensured this didn't happen. And now I understand why they ensured this didn't happen.

 

[Farah Sohail]

I seriously cant understand people.. our team has been a disaster for a long time now, esp in tests.. do people really expect Gillespie or Kirsten to have a magic wand and change fortunes within split second? Gillespie and Kirsten are proven coaches, and unless they are given proper time to rebuild this team. we cant judge them

No sane coach will change all players at once.. Atleast Gillespie had the balls to omit Shaheen Naseem and asked themto jmprove and gave chance to domestic performers

Cant believe people are asking for Misbah to be back, instead of Gillespie who has coached Yorkshire and made them win titles, after they were a division 2 team.. but it takes time.. He cant do it in a split second we know the calibre of our players

 

[BouncerGuy]

Jason Gillespie speaking during an interview:

When asked about the series defeat against Bangladesh:

"It's very disappointing as you always want to win the games you play, and we prepared well, but we were simply beaten by a better team. Unfortunately, we have a lot of work to do, and there's no doubt about that. I am excited by the opportunity, obviously disappointed to lose the games first and foremost, but there are a lot of positives to take from it. There's a lot of growth and weight in the Pakistan Test side, so I'm really excited by the potential in the next month when we host England at home.”

When asked about franchise cricket and instability in PCB:

“The lures of franchise cricket are not isolated to Pakistan; we've seen that all around the world. Those pressures, we are not immune from that in Pakistan, but there was a lot of disappointment around the country. However, there's an acceptance and understanding that change is needed. We need to be patient, and there has been a lot of turnover in playing personnel, people working at the PCB, and coaches. So, I think there's a real appetite for stability, and hopefully, we can secure that and then we can just focus on looking to play the best cricket we possibly can.”

When asked about the upcoming series against England:

“It's a great opportunity to play against England, a quality side. It's pretty clear how they go about their game in Test cricket under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes; they look to play a very aggressive style of cricket, and we will be prepared for that and ready to counter it with our style of cricket. We just want to be as consistent and disciplined as we possibly can throughout all five days of each Test match, and we believe if we can do that in our home conditions, it gives us the best chance of winning.”

When asked about facing his home side Australia being a coach of Pakistan:

“When you become a career coach, you just take the opportunities and focus on your team and your group of players. The goal is to play the best cricket you possibly can, regardless of who you're playing. But obviously, I'm Australian, but as a Pakistan coach, I want to beat Australia. So, that's the challenge that's within me, and we'll have to wait and see."

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan have some tough assignments soon.

England and South Africa.

I think Pakistan also have a Zimbabwe series scheduled. It is an opportunity for Gillespie and Pakistan to get form back.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Australian cricket dodged a huge bullet by not appointing Jason Gillespie as head coach. This man was the clear favourite to succeed Justin Langer, but Pat Cummins and senior players like Warner, Smith, and Starc ensured this didn't happen. And now I understand why they ensured this didn't happen.

I don't think Gillespie is the problem..

It's the minnow team he is coaching

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

The end of Gillespie's international coaching career. Same as Mickey Arthur.

It's only when they get up close and personal do they realise that none of the players have the talent required.

I think Arthur's coaching career ended after his Australia stint.

His first stint with Pakistan was a success, all things considered. Especially for Pakistan standards. Shouldn't have come back for the second stint though.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I think Arthur's coaching career ended after his Australia stint.

His first stint with Pakistan was a success, all things considered. Especially for Pakistan standards. Shouldn't have come back for the second stint though.

Problem is too much is expected of the head coach in PCT setup.

The players coming through don't have the skillsets of the other countries'.

Mickey to his credit did try to change a few things.

But he can't really work on any individual's primary skills.

I don't think any of Dravid, McCullum, McDonald etc. do such work.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Problem is too much is expected of the head coach in PCT setup.

The players coming through don't have the skillsets of the other countries'.

Mickey to his credit did try to change a few things.

But he can't really work on any individual's primary skills.

I don't think any of Dravid, McCullum, McDonald etc. do such work.

That's true. The system is in shambles. You could have the greatest coach in the world and it wouldn't make a difference because the players coming through are nowhere near the standard of what international cricket demands, especially in key areas like: fitness, mental toughness, skill-level. Problems like these cannot be fixed overnight or even in a few series. The saddest part is that the people running Pakistan cricket are completely obvious of this fact and keep making surface-level, cosmetic changes rather than getting to the root of the problem.

 

[gazza619]

Gillespie is perhaps the most expensive coach in the world, when you divide his gross salary by the (useful) number of hours.

 

[RidiculousMan]

I think he will resign soon. Maybe after this Test match against England.

In a press conference he says that he is now a "match strategist" and doesn't do any decision making.

 

[Mamoon]

I think he will resign soon. Maybe after this Test match against England.

In a press conference he says that he is now a "match strategist" and doesn't do any decision making.

Cleaning up after the players who left all the bottles on the ground instead of putting them in the trash should be enough for him to walk away from Pakistan cricket.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

I think he will resign soon. Maybe after this Test match against England.

In a press conference he says that he is now a "match strategist" and doesn't do any decision making.

Then a ex player will take over, the dressing room will get destroyed and the cycle repeats.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I think he will resign soon. Maybe after this Test match against England.

In a press conference he says that he is now a "match strategist" and doesn't do any decision making.

Yeah I felt a bit sorry for him after seeing that statement. Let's be honest his position is basically untenable unless he really swallows his pride.

He came in with aspirations for 4 pacers but after a few weeks has been given a team hand picked by someone else and spin friendly pitches. Not even care taker coaches in football are treated this way.

 

[Kianig89]

Series won as Pakistan coach is an achievement Gillespie would not had relished before,

 

[Kianig89]

Gillespie 1st game as Odi coach.....

Bowlers looked devoid of any plan, a random moment made them outsiders absolutely disappointing show

 

[jnaveen1980]

Seems like Gillespie has declined to do white ball coaching

 

[jnaveen1980]

Seems like Gillespie has declined to do white ball coaching

In that above video he explains how they worked out England. He has also shared tip for Australia about how to beat them. His point about Saud shakeel taking 70 singles in a 100 is an interesting point.

 

[U$ofA]

What I don't understand is why PCB needs a separate coach for tests? The PCB schedules anywhere between 6-7 tests a year. Maybe 8 in a good year and 5 in a bad year. Need a dedicated coach for that?

 

[neonoir]

What I don't understand is why PCB needs a separate coach for tests? The PCB schedules anywhere between 6-7 tests a year. Maybe 8 in a good year and 5 in a bad year. Need a dedicated coach for that?

Think it works out perfectly for an overseas coach he only spends a few months of the year in Pakistan/overseas tours and can spend most of his time at home.

Like you pointed out Pak barely play more than 10 tests a year and will only play 5 or 6 of them at home