Sunday 06 / October / 2024
Lahore : Pakistan red-ball cricket coach Jason Gillespie pinpointed the lack of consistency as the main problem with the team ahead of their upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh in August.
Pakistan have struggled to pull off victories across all formats since the conclusion of the ODI World Cup last year in India.
Since then, in white-ball cricket, the Babar-led side has ended up on the losing side against the USA, Ireland, England, New Zealand, India and other teams.
In red-ball cricket, at the end of last year, they played a three-match Test series against Australia under the new regime of Shan Masood.
Australia dominated the Asian Giants and maintained their unbeaten streak in red-ball cricket that stretches back to 1996.
Despite Pakistan's woes during the Australia tour, Gillespie focused on the positive aspects of their performance.
"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," Gillespie said, as quoted from Geo News.
He pinpointed the lack of consistency that prevails despite the talent within the team as the main problem.
"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 added.
Apart from consistency, Pakistan's fielding has been a point of criticism for the past couple of years. In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, dropped catches and misfields were common in their performance.
"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," Gillespie said.
Pakistan's Test series against Bangladesh will begin on August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second Test will be played on August 30 at National Stadium Karachi.
