"Simply want them to play...": Pakistan Test coach Gillespie opens up about his philosophy, cricketing style
Lahore [Pakistan], April 29 (ANI): Pakistan’s newly appointed red ball coach, Jason Gillespie, opened up about the philosophy that he is going to adopt and the style of cricket that one can expect to see from the team in their upcoming Test matches. The former Australian quick was announced as Pakistan’s red ball head coach for two years on Sunday. The 49-year-old talked about the style of play and the philosophy that he wants to instil in the team to achieve success. "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! 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," Gillespie said on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast. "I like hardworking players and believe in discipline. We are in the entertainment business and I want to showcase our skills to the crowds and our supporters. I want to play games, produce performances that mean something, and, more importantly, I want to win," he added. He went on to emphasize the importance of support from the "passionate" Pakistan fans. He gave surety to the fans that their bad days wouldn’t be a result of a lack of effort or preparation of the team. "The role of the fans in cricket is vitally important; without the fans, we don’t have a game. I’m very conscious that Pakistan cricket supporters are incredibly passionate. They want to see success, and they want the team to do well. I want the fans to be rest assured that the bad days are not going to be through a lack of effort or lack of preparation. We will be working hard and preparing very well," Gillespie said. "I completely understand and appreciate that. We’re going to have some great days in Test cricket for Pakistan, and there’s a chance we’ll have some not-so-good days. But if we can bridge that gap and minimise those bad days and keep striving to have more good days, more good hours, more sessions, we can have some success," Gillespie added. Gillespie will take charge of the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh (at home in August), followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season. (ANI)