Jason Gillespie Archives

Jason Gillespie reacts to PCB’s stance on players’ workload management

Pakistan’s newly-appointed Test coach Jason Gillespie backed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) stance to ensure the workload management of the all-format players.

Earlier, the cricketing body denied the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Naseem Shah for the Hundred and also to Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the Global T20 Canada 2024.

Meanwhile, Gillespie, in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, said that the centrally contracted players are compensated well and thus the management has the right to instruct the players to rest, considering their availability for the national team.

“Players are centrally contracted and getting compensated really well. We have the right to be able to say, ‘Look, in this situation, we need you to rest or have some downtime to give your body and mind a break, be ready for the next challenge for Pakistan’” Gillespie said.

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Jason Gillespie, however, acknowledged the importance of the franchise leagues for the players to get exposure but if that participation impacts a player’s readiness for national duty then a discussion and a decision would be essential.

“We want players to go and play in these leagues and have these great experiences. But if we believe it’s going to be to the detriment of representing Pakistan in an upcoming series, then we’ll have a discussion and have a decision to make.

“These are honest and difficult conversations. Ultimately, we’re tasked with doing what’s right by Pakistan cricket.”

“If being honest is telling a player something they might not want to hear, well, then I’m willing to do that. I want to help them be the best player and person they can be.”

It is worth mentioning here that the Pakistan men’s team will embark on a busy international calendar 2024-25 with a two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, scheduled to take place from August 21 to September 3.

READ: Shoaib Malik wants India to visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan head coaches, assistant coach hold meeting at PCB headquarter

LAHORE: Pakistan men’s cricket team’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood met at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters on Wednesday.

The three coaches discussed the ongoing situation of the team and the future plans to steer the team in the right direction.

Notably, Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie, and Azhar Mahmood also met the chairman of PCB Mohsin Naqvi yesterday, where they discussed making a comprehensive coaching plan for the national team.

Kirsten and Gillespie put forward their plans to improve the team’s performance in their respective formats, with a major emphasis on improving the fielding and fitness of the players along with batting and bowling.

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Chairman PCB expressed his confidence in the coaches and gave them free-hand to make their decisions, ensuring complete support.

The coaches and the chairman agreed on the fact that there is an abundance of talent in Pakistan, however, there is a need to make the right combinations to take the best out of each player’s ability.

Meanwhile, in another development, former cricketers Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were expelled from the seven-member Pakistan Men’s Cricket Selection Committee yesterday.

With Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq’s expulsion, the selection committee now features Asad Shafique and Mohammad Yousuf, who, are most likely to lose their positions too as the formation of the new selection committee is on the cards.

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PCB Chairman holds meeting with Pakistan coaches

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi met white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s Director of International Cricket Usman Wahla was also present at the meeting, where the participants discussed making a comprehensive coaching plan for the national team.

Chairman PCB expressed his confidence in the coaches and gave them free-hand to make their decisions, ensuring complete support.

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Pakistan team’s next assignment is a two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, starting from August 21 in Rawalpindi. This series will be Pakistan’s first Test series under Gillespie.

Prior to that, Gillespie will travel to Darwin with the Pakistan Shaheens as the team’s head coach for their four-day games.

He will return to Pakistan after the second four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’, which finishes on 29 July, to assume responsibilities as the national side’s head coach and commence preparations for Bangladesh series.

READ: James Anderson urges next generation to embrace Test cricket

Jason Gillespie vows to bring ‘consistency’ in Pakistan’s Test team

KARACHI: Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie reached here on Sunday for his first assignment in the role and held a press conference, addressing the key issues of the Green Shirts.

The former Australian pacer was appointed the red-ball head coach in April and will take charge from the home Test series against Bangladesh, scheduled in August.

In his first press conference, he expressed his excitement to work with Pakistan’s senior team, while also confirming that he will be touring to Darwin with Pakistan Shaheens.

“I am excited to work with the Pakistan cricket team and will also travel to Australia with the Shaheens,” Gillespie stated.

The former Australian appreciated the Green Shirts’ talent, however, he pointed out that the major concern is the team’s inconsistency, which was also evident on their tour of Australia, where they lost 3-0.

“During the last tour to Australia, Pakistan lost the series 3-0 but they played well. There were moments in the series where they were also dominating the opponents,” he added.

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“The Pakistan cricket team is very talented but the lack of consistency in performances is the main problem, we will see how we can bring continuity and consistency in performances.”

He also emphasized the importance of fitness in modern cricket and stated that there would be no compromise on fitness. “In international cricket, you have to remain fit; there are no excuses for fitness,” he stated.

Along with fitness, Jason Gillespie also highlighted the concerns with Pakistan’s fielding performance while vowing to improve it

“There is a general opinion that Pakistan’s fielding is their weak point, so that would be my priority. For me, the goal is to see how we play against quality sides.”

The head coach also opened up about his conversation with Test captain Shan Masood and white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten.

“I have talked to Shan Masood [Pakistan’s red-ball capain] one to two times, I’m hoping we will play positive cricket,” Gillespie shared.

“If a player is good for the team, he will definitely be selected. I’m in contact with Gary Kirsten [Pakistan’s white-ball coach] for players’ workload management.”

READ: Chairman PCB summons Sarfaraz Ahmed to Lahore

Pakistan Shaheens to tour Darwin under red-ball coach Gillespie

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced details of the pre-season fitness and fielding camp and Pakistan Shaheens’ tour to Darwin under the supervision of red-ball coach Jason Gillespie.

The pre-season camp, which will be attended by 25 cricketers, will take place from 24 June to 7 July. The squad will be trimmed to 15-member Pakistan Shaheens squad that will undergo a training camp from 8-13 July to prepare for their tour to Darwin.

In Darwin, Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, two 50-over matches against Northern Territory and Bangladesh, and also participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.

Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will supervise the Pakistan Shaheens’ training camp from 8-13 July and will also travel to Darwin as the team’s head coach.

The pre-season fitness and fielding camp will be supervised by Mohammad Masroor, who will also travel to Darwin as Assistant Coach-cum-Manager.

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Abdul Rehman will be the white-ball head coach and will join the Pakistan Shaheens side on 28 July for the two 50-over and Top End T20 Series matches from 4-18 August.

National team players presently involved in competitive cricket in the United Kingdom and those who recently participated in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 have been exempted from the pre-season fitness and fielding camp.

Following are the players invited by the national selection committee for the pre-season fitness and fielding camp as well as the Pakistan Shaheen squad:

Players for pre-season fitness and fielding camp – Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sameen Gul, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mahmood. One more player will be added to the camp next week

Pakistan Shaheens – Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir and Umar Amin. Captain and one more player will be confirmed in due course

Player Support Personnel – Jason Gillespie (head coach for red-ball matches, will also supervise camp from 8-13 July), Abdul Rehman (head coach for white-ball matches and will join the side on 28 July), Mohammad Masroor (Assistant coach-cum-manager and camp commandant from 24 June-7 July), Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist), Imranullah (trainer) and Usman Hashmi (analyst).

ABOUT THE DARWIN TOUR:

This is the second successive year Pakistan Shaheens will feature in the Darwin series.

Last year, Pakistan Shaheens participated in the six-team Top End T20 Series, which was followed by 50-over matches against Papua New Guinea (PNG) and NT Strike. NT Strike had defeated Shaheens in the Top End T20 Series final by 46 runs, while in the 50-over matches, Pakistan Shaheens beat PNG by 224 runs and Northern Strike by 84 runs.

The two four-dayers are part of bilateral series fixtures, which Northern Territory Cricket (NTC) are hosting on behalf of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The PCB is scheduled to host Bangladesh A at home in August.

PCB Director International Cricket, Usman Wahla:

“I am grateful to Northern Territory for inviting the Pakistan Shaheens for the second successive year. Last year, the players had a memorable experience and enjoyed playing and performing in excellent playing conditions, in front of enthusiastic cricket fans.

“This year we have added red-ball cricket matches to give more exposure to our cricketers and I am confident the players will benefit from this tour and will return as better cricketers.”

Schedule (all matches in Darwin)

14 Jul – Arrival in Darwin
19-22 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
26-29 Jul – Four-day vs Bangladesh ‘A’
4 Aug – 50-over match vs Northern Territory (NT)
6 Aug – 50 over match vs Bangladesh ‘A’
9-18 Aug – nine-team Top End T20 Series

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Jason Gillespie wants Pakistan Test side to play “their way”

The newly-appointed head coach of the Pakistan Men’s Test team, Jason Gillespie, said Monday that he would not impose Australia’s style of play and instead wants the players to play the style of cricket that suits them.

Gillespie appeared in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast and talked about various aspects, linked to his appointment as the Pakistan Test coach.

Jason Gillespie was asked whether he would transfer Australia’s aggressive style of playing cricket to the Pakistan side, said his philosophy is different; that is not to try something you are not.

“Look, I simply want the Pakistan cricket team to play the style of cricket that’s going to suit them; for me, that’s important. My philosophy is – don’t try to be something that you’re not,” said Gillespie.

“You’ve got to be authentic in how you go about it. I will go out there and say: just be positive, aggressive, entertaining. Play with a smile on your faces and entertain our fans.

“There are going to be times when you have to grind it out, and that’s what Test cricket is. It’s a test of your skills, mental capacity, and patience. There are times to attack and times to soak up some periods of cricket from the opposition.

“If we can be as consistent as we can, then hopefully, the scoreboard will look after itself, and we can pick up some wins.”

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For the unversed, Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as the Pakistan Test team’s head coach will be the home series against Bangladesh in August, followed by the England series in October and an away series against South Africa in December.

Pakistan currently sit fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings and need to make hard yards to make it to the final.

“Obviously, the ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 for Pakistan is going to be a challenge; there’s no question about that. But, we’ll just take each series as it comes.

“The first opportunity that I’ll be involved in will be against Bangladesh at home, and I am looking forward to it. We’ll just take each series and each Test match as it comes.

“Look, Test cricket is a challenge, there’s no doubt about that. But if you prepare well, put your best foot forward, then we’ll give ourselves the best chance to have some success.”

READ: Kirsten, Gillespie open up after being appointed as Pakistan coaches

Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie open up after being appointed as Pakistan’s coaches

Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie were named as Pakistan’s head coaches for white-ball and red-ball cricket respectively, and they shared their thoughts on their new roles on Sunday.

The appointments were announced by the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi during a press conference held here today.

Kirsten will take charge as the head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I sides immediately after completing his assignment in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

During his tenure, besides the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will also be in charge of the side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

“It’s a tremendous honour to be entrusted with the responsibility of coaching the Pakistan men’s national team in white-ball cricket and to rejoin the international cricket arena after some time,” stated Kirsten.

“I eagerly anticipate this opportunity and aim to contribute positively to the Pakistan men’s national team in limited-overs cricket.

“My goal is to unite the Pakistan men’s white-ball team, harnessing their considerable talents towards a common objective, and achieving success together on the field.

“My perspective on Pakistan cricket has remained consistent over time. There’s always an inherent expectation for the team to perform at a high level consistently.

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“However, in team sports, maintaining peak performance is not always guaranteed. As a coach, it’s immensely gratifying to assist players in unlocking their full potential.

“I eagerly anticipate collaborating with the individual players and the team, facilitating their growth and development.”

Meanwhile, Gillespie will assume responsibilities for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh (at home in August), which will be followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season.

“I am grateful to the PCB for their faith in my abilities and giving me the honour of coaching one of the most highly-regarded and talented cricket teams in the traditional format of the sport,” said Gillespie.

“Leading the Pakistan cricket team is a big achievement for any coach, given its rich legacy and passionate fan base.

“I love Test cricket and being able to focus on that is something I like very much. I also love the fact that there is so much talent in Pakistan.

“I like to think that I can help in some way to grow and develop the players. I want to win Tests – that is why I am taking this role. I love winning and I know we have got the skill to make that happen.

“Ultimately, it is all about playing the style of cricket we want to play, one that helps us win matches excites the public and puts smiles on the faces of everyone connected with Pakistan cricket.

“Within Pakistan, we have a number of high-quality fast bowlers and being able to utilise them will be a key part of any success we enjoy.”

READ: PCB appoints Kirsten, Gillespie as coaches for white, red-ball cricket

PCB appoints Kirsten, Gillespie as coaches for white, red-ball cricket

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday appointed Gary Kirsten as the white-ball head coach and Jason Gillespie as the red-ball head coach for the men’s national cricket team.

Meanwhile, Azhar Mahmood has also been confirmed as an assistant coach across all formats.

The appointments were announced by the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi during a press conference held here today.

“I extend my congratulations to Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten on their appointments as the red and white-ball head coaches of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, respectively,” said Mohsin Naqvi.

The appointments of Kirsten, Giillespie and Mahmood have been made for a two-year period following a recruitment process.

Kirsten will take charge as the head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I sides immediately after completing his assignment in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

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Gillespie will assume responsibilities for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh (at home in August), which will be followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season.

“Jason’s coaching career has been marked by success both at the domestic and international levels, with a focus on player development and achieving excellence in team performance,” added Naqvi.

“Gary’s coaching career has been marked by his ability to instill a winning mentality, develop young talent, and achieve success at the highest levels of the game, making him one of the most respected and sought-after coaches in cricket.

“In this background, I have every confidence that their expertise will guide our players to reach new heights, aligning with their inherent talent and the expectations of our passionate fans.

“These high-quality appointments also present a remarkable opportunity for our players to glean insights from these seasoned professionals, refining their skills and fortifying their cricketing acumen.

“The PCB is unwavering in its commitment to furnish the national team with top-tier resources and facilities, fostering an environment conducive to unlocking their full potential and consistently delivering stellar performances.”

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