Pakistan men’s Test coach Jason Gillespie has urged his team to be more “ruthless” when in dominant positions after their recent disappointing series against Bangladesh. Pakistan suffered their first-ever Test series loss to Bangladesh, going down 0-2. Reflecting on the series, Gillespie believes Pakistan showed glimpses of quality but failed to capitalize on crucial moments.
“We played some excellent cricket, both with the bat and the ball. The issue was that we didn’t sustain it long enough,” Gillespie said on a PCB podcast. He emphasized the need for consistency and seizing opportunities, “When we allowed our opponents to get into the game, they capitalized and pulled ahead. That’s where we let ourselves down.”
In the first Test against Bangladesh, Pakistan declared early and had their opponents struggling at 218/5, but Bangladesh mounted a strong comeback to reach 565. In the second Test, after putting up 274 runs, Pakistan reduced Bangladesh to 26/6, only to see their advantage slip as Bangladesh fought back, resulting in a slender first-innings lead of just 12 runs.
“What we need is a bit more ruthlessness. When we’re ahead, we need to stay ahead and really drive home that advantage. There was some very good work done, but when we had a bad hour, it set us back,” said Gillespie.
With a home series against England set to begin next week, Gillespie acknowledges the challenge, particularly given England’s aggressive batting approach, famously dubbed “Bazball.” England has a different squad this time, with key players like James Anderson, Mark Wood, and Ollie Robinson absent. However, Gillespie doesn’t see this as a weakness. “We can only prepare to play against the players that England has selected. While some of their players might be inexperienced, they’ve shown that they can perform at the Test level,” he added.
The Australian coach is optimistic about the series, emphasizing the pride and excitement his team feels playing Test cricket for Pakistan. “They take pride in representing their country and want to inspire the Pakistani supporters,” Gillespie shared.
Pakistan’s team selection faced criticism in the series against Bangladesh, particularly for fielding an all-pace attack on a spin-friendly surface. In contrast, the squad for the England series includes three specialist pacers—Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Mir Hamza—alongside all-rounder Aamer Jamal, with an addition of veteran spinner Noman Ali.
Defending the selections, Gillespie emphasized backing players and fostering open communication. “All players are disappointed when they miss out… but the players understand my philosophy regarding selection. We want to back and support players,” he explained.
Gillespie is well aware of England’s aggressive cricket style, which led to their historic series win in Pakistan in 2022. While not a fan of the term “Bazball,” Gillespie noted, “We will play our way, striving to be a consistent and disciplined team that hangs in there and strikes at the right moment.”
Gillespie is confident that his team is motivated to face the challenge and prove doubters wrong. “A lot of people are writing us off, and that’s okay. 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.”