Jason Gillespie has had a truly unforgettable start to his international coaching career with Pakistan as they faced an embarrassing defeat on home soil in the two-match Test series at the hands of Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, August 3.
However, the former Australian player will not have much time to reflect on the victory on his first assignment with the Pakistan cricket team as he is scheduled to fly back home right after the conclusion of the second and final Test in Rawalpindi.
Jason Gillespie and Tim Nielsen prepare to leave for Australia after the Test series
Cricket Pakistan reports that Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and high-performance coach Tim Nielsen will leave for Australia on Wednesday for a short break from their duties.
The return of Gillespie and Nielsen home is part of a strategic plan as they will return to Pakistan just in time for the upcoming three-match Test series against England, which begins on October 7 in Multan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan physiotherapist Cliff Deacon and strength and conditioning coach Dreks Simon will remain in Pakistan. Deacon and Simon will conduct extensive fitness tests for the national Test squad and other international players.
This fitness test will be conducted to ensure that Pakistan players are in top physical condition for the upcoming matches, including the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29.
The Champions One-Day Cup will bring together some of the best cricketers, around 150 in number, from across the country. Following Pakistan’s disappointing 2-0 Test series defeat to Bangladesh, Jason Gillespie has expressed his support for captain Shan Masood.
Jason Gillespie defends Shan Masood’s captaincy against Bangladesh
Despite the team’s struggles, the head coach praised Masood’s leadership and acknowledged the challenges they have been facing lately.
Jason Gillespie highlighted that while Masood did a great job as captain, the overall performance of the Pakistan team did not meet expectations, resulting in an embarrassing defeat in the home series.
The Test series saw Bangladesh achieve a historic first-ever win against Pakistan. Moreover, the Australian legend has emphasised the need for improvement in several areas.
He expressed his belief in the team’s potential and said that although the players have proven their ability, consistency is crucial to achieve better results in the future.
Jason Gillespie said in the post-match press conference: “Shan has led the team really well. We just haven’t played well as a team, and that’s the reality. We need to improve in certain areas, and we will. I really want to back and believe in these players; they’re good enough and they’ve shown glimpses of how good we are. We just need to do it more often and consistently.”
Extremely disappointed: Masood on Pakistan’s Test series loss to Bangladesh
On the other hand, Masood has expressed his disappointment over the team’s defeat to Bangladesh in the home Test series. He said, “Extremely disappointed; we were excited about the home season.”
