Sustained quality, ruthlessness vital for Pakistan: Gillespie

LAHORE: Red-ball coach Jason Gillespie says Pakistan will need to show sustained quality and added ruthlessness if they are to challenge a formidable team like England in a home series starting early next month.

“We showed glimpses of quality in the [recent] home Test series against Bangladesh, where we were really driving the game forward. We played some excellent cricket. [But] 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,” Gillespie said in a podcast released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday.

“So, 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,” added the former Australian Test fast bowler.

“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 maximise the good ones,” said Gillespie, who played 71 Tests from 1996-2006 claiming 259 wickets.

Pakistan, led by Shan Masood, are under pressure to perform against a top-quality side like England — who are third on ICC Test rankings — after suffering an embarrassing 2-0 home series sweep against Bangladesh earlier this month.

England are scheduled to play a three-Test series in Pakistan starting in Multan on Oct 7.

On Pakistan’s chances in the forthcoming series against England, Gillespie said the hosts needed to be at their best to tackle a strong outfit led by Ben Stokes.

“Well, Test cricket is exciting, isn’t it? And to play against a team like England, it certainly is exciting. It’s also a great opportunity to play in our home country. We feel we match up quite well against England, but we also recognise that they’re a very good cricket team and we need to play really well. So, our focus is going to be on playing disciplined, consistent Test cricket and staying in the game,” he said.

“If we stick to our disciplines and remain patient, the results will come.”

When recalled that Pakistan were whitewashed 3-0 at home by England two years ago and now suffered a series sweep to Bangladesh, the Australian said being ruthless at the right time was the key.

“As I mentioned earlier, it’s about being ruthless when you’re ahead. Once you gain the advantage, you have to find a way to maintain it,” he maintained.

“To be fair, Bangladesh played very well during certain periods, and they wrestled the advantage back from us. So, we need to ensure we don’t leave the door open for our opponents.”

On whether if his players were capable of addressing those gaps and cashing in on those important moments, Gillespie sounded upbeat.

“I really believe we do. There’s been a lot of discussion about the squad, whether we should make changes, bring certain players in, or take others out. But I’m a big believer in continuity and in backing and supporting players,” the 49-year-old coach expressed.

“We’ve got many fine cricketers in Pakistan, and for this [England] series, we had some really good discussions as a selection group. We debated honestly and openly, and ultimately, we decided to back and support our players and those already around the squad.”

Asked about rising batter Kamran Ghulam and pacer Mohammad Ali missing from the 15-member squad announced for the England series, the Test team coach said he was in contact with the dropped players on the subject.

“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,” he said.

“What I’m learning is that the players understand my philosophy on selection. We want to back [the] players.”

He continued, “We’ll look to manage our bowlers, given the amount of cricket coming up across all formats. So, we may see some changes here and there with the bowlers. But with the batting group, I want to show faith and provide support.”

On how Pakistan could take benefit from the absence of key English players including James Anderson (retired), Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson, Gillespie said remaining well-prepared and focused was crucial regardless of who was representing England.

“You mentioned three quality international cricketers, and we respect their absence. However, 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.”

To a question, Gillespie said as he had never visited Multan, where Pakistan will play England in back-to-back Tests from Oct 7 to 19, he had to assess the conditions there.

“I’ve communicated with Tony Hemming, the head curator, who has provided feedback on what we can expect.”

When asked to comment on ‘Bazball’ — an aggressive style of play in Tests adopted by England two years ago, Gillespie said every team had their own method.

“It’s very clear how England approach 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,” he said.

“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,” Gillespie concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024