ISLAMABAD (APP):Pakistan Test cricket team captain Shan Masood and red ball head coach Jason Gillespie want to make the Pakistan a strong team, as to achieve great accomplishments.
Masood said, “We are both on the same page and it’s great that Pakistan has two very world class coaches in red ball and white ball and we are very excited to have both of them bring their vast experience to us.”
He said it is a pleasure for us that we will play nine Test matches in four to five months of this season. This has not happened before. We have played maximum five to six Test matches in a year.
Seven Tests are at home grounds. Of course, some of our players, including fast bowlers, are players in all three formats whose workload we have to handle, like we did in Australia where Shaheen Afridi played two Tests and in the third he was given rest, he said talking to PCB podcast. Masood said the good thing is that we have six fast bowlers in our current squad and they are capable of being included in the six-on-six playing XI.
He said in the presence of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, we were also world number one in Test cricket. Major teams have been playing ten to fifteen Tests a year. We are playing the home series again from 2019 but have played different teams at different times of the year. Test cricket is a challenging format which requires adapting to many things, he said.
He said the goal is to make Pakistan a Test team that can compete with big teams like Australia England and play the final of the World Test Championship. Masood gave the example of England and said, “I like England’s approach of identifying a style of play and then finding domestic cricketers, he said. I would like to have the same approach in Pakistan so that at the top level we can support those players who suit the requirements of the team and then give them maximum opportunities to play, he said.
Masood said the dressing room culture is very important as everything starts from there. It is the primary responsibility of the captain to maintain a positive and cheerful atmosphere in the dressing room. Major sporting teams have a strong dressing room culture.
Meanwhile Jason Gillespie highlighted the importance of Pakistan Shaheens and said that the Pakistan Cricket Board has tried to reduce the gap between domestic and international cricket with the four-day matches of Pakistan Shaheens. Pakistan Shaheens have an important role in Pakistan cricket as by playing against different teams in different conditions, there is an opportunity for these players to come to international cricket, he said.
Gillespie said that there are challenges of having too much cricket. We have to strike a balance between representing Pakistan and other competitions. Players also gain experience by going out and playing and this is also their source of income.
Cricket is busy not only in Pakistan but all over the world. We can take care of players in all three formats as much as possible but our priority is to represent Pakistan and we cannot compromise on that, he said. There may be some decisions that are not popular but it is very important to understand that such decisions will be in the best interest of Pakistan Cricket and players, he said.
Gillespie said he has been in regular contact with Masood. Both of us have been discussing in detail the strategy and philosophy of the Pakistan team. Shan has also spoken to the boys about the areas we need to focus and improve, he said.
“I and the selectors want consistency and continuity and when we create an environment where there is consistency and consistency on and off the field, the players will have the best chance of being supported and looked after. They will also be able to show their best performance, he said. About social media, he said, it we live in a digital world. Players will definitely see a lot of things that are upsetting but we have to face them as a mature person. We have to create an environment in the dressing room that is a safe place for the players and they know they are being supported in that, he said. Masood and Gillespie also invited Paris Olympics 2024 gold medalist Arshad Nadeem to visit the Pakistan team’s dressing room. They said that they would be happy if Arshad comes and share his success story with them as to motivate the players.
