Pakistan Test team coach Jason Gillespie has revealed that he his only a matchday strategy coach and that he has no say in the team selection. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to crack the whip following the loss in PAK vs ENG 1st Test and limited the say of both coach and the captain when it came to deciding on the team composition. Instead, the revamped selection committee has been given all the powers – ranging from deciding what kind of pitch they want to the squad selection.
Jason Gillespie sheds light on new role as Pakistan coach
Ahead of the PAK vs ENG 3rd Test, Jason Gillespie spoke about his “new role” after being stripped off the powers in team selection. The former Australian cricketer claimed that he was just a coach who had to plan matchday strategy. He added that his job was to get players ready for the game.
“The PCB came in after that (first) Test match. It was decided that a new selection panel would come in, and they would be making decisions. I wasn’t involved in the decision-making. I’m now just the coach for matchday strategy, so I just keep out of things now and just focus on the players and getting them ready for cricket,” Gillespie stated.
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The revamped selection commitee comprises of Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, and Hassan Cheema. The decisions of the revamped body seem to be working in Pakistan’s favour, with bold calls made for PAK vs ENG 2nd Test reaping rewards. Pakistan made some harsh selections calls for the 2nd and 3rd Test, dropping their premier trio of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah for the remainder of the series against England. Instead, they decided to give opportunities to other cricketers and it worked wonders. Sajid Khan, Nouman Ali and Kamran Ghulam justified their inclusion in the XI with stunning performances that saw Pakistan end their winless streak at home.
Pakistan XI for PAK vs ENG 3rd Test
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (VC), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood
