Jason Gillespie, the Pakistan men’s cricket team red-ball head coach today announced a 12-member squad for the second Test match against Bangladesh during a pre-match press conference at a local hotel in Islamabad. Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie explained the decision behind dropping Shaheen Shah Afridi from the 2nd Test against Bangladesh.
Pakistan announced their list of 12 probable’s for the second Test on Thursday, August 29. Pakistan brought back Abrar Ahmed in the side, who was dropped from the first Test as Pakistan preferred an all-pace bowling attack. Jason Gillespie was asked about Shaheen in the press conference, held in Rawalpindi, a day ahead of the second Test match. Jason Gillespie said that Shaheen had been given feedback about his bowling and was working well under Azhar Mahmood, the assistant coach of the team.
Jason Gillespie confirms 12-member squad for 2nd Test vs Bangladesh
Pakistan’s red-ball coach, Jason Gillespie, has provided insight into the strategic decision to exclude left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi from the lineup for the second Test against Bangladesh, set to begin on Friday, 30 August, in Rawalpindi.
Left-arm Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has been dropped from the 12-man squad for the upcoming second and final Test against Bangladesh. Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie has revealed the reason behind Shaheen Afridi’s exclusion from the lineup for the must-win game in the series.
The Shan Masood-led team is currently trailing 0-1 in the ongoing home Test series against Bangladesh. Pakistan will face Bangladesh in the second match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium starting on Friday, August 30. The hosts will be hoping to win the match and level the series in Rawalpindi. However Basit Ali former Pakistani cricketer shares his opinion on the Pakistan press conference held by Jason Gillespie.
Basit Ali takes a dig at Jason Gillespie-led Pakistan team press conference ahead of PAK vs BAN 2024 2nd Test
Basit Ali recently reacted to the comments made by Pakistan’s red-ball coach Jason Gillespie at the pre-match press conference ahead of the side’s second Test of the ongoing home series against Bangladesh. He mentioned that Gillespie sounded like a true Pakistani coach.
The former cricketer opined that Gillespie may have taken some feedback from Australia’s Jeff Lawson and Shaun Tait, who have had stints as coaches with the Men in Green. Speaking in his latest YouTube video, Basit remarked :
“Jason Gillespie was an Australian cricketer, but now he has become a Pakistani coach. He has taken classes from Jeff Lawson and Shaun Tait. From today’s press conference, I can now say that Jason Gillespie has become a Pakistani coach. It was very clear from the statements he made at the press conference.”
Pakistan suffered a 10-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the Test series opener. They have made a big change to their lineup for the must-win second and final fixture, leaving out ace pacer Shaheen Afridi. The match is set to be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from Friday, August 30. At the press conference, Jason Gillespie stated that he made Afridi understand why he was dropped from the team.
Jason Gillespie on Pakistan’s XII for 2nd Test
Pakistan announced their 12-member squad for the second Test against Bangladesh on Thursday, August 29. Leg spinner Abrar Ahmed was added to the side in place of Shaheen Afridi.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, here’s what Jason Gillespie said on the decision to drop Afridi:
“Shaheen will sit out of this game. I had a good conversation with him, and he fully understands and appreciates the reasoning behind this decision. We’re looking for the best combination for this game, and this is our direction. As I mentioned, we will assess the conditions in the morning and decide on the exact makeup of our bowling attack.”
Shaheen Afridi was one of the four frontline seamers for the series opener. However, the quartet struggled to make an impact and collectively took 9 wickets for 359 runs at an average close to 40. Afridi recorded figures of 2/88 from 30 overs as Bangladesh scored 565 runs in the first innings.
Jason Gillespie said that Shaheen Afridi’s omission is due to a mix of personal and professional factors. He added that Afridi is focusing on improving his bowling with Azhar Mahmood. Gillespie emphasized that the team is well-prepared for the upcoming game without him.
“He’s working on a few aspects of his bowling to ensure he’s as fit as possible. He’s been collaborating well with Azhar Mahmood, which has been fantastic,” Gillespie further stated.
“We certainly want to see Shaheen at his best because we have a lot of cricket ahead in all formats, and he’s going to play a big role in that.
“However, right now, we feel that we have all our bases covered for this particular game. But, make no mistake, Shaheen is a quality player and will play a significant role in the next 6-7 months,” he concluded.
Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Ali retained their places in the 12-member squad. Mir Hamza and frontline spinner Abrar Ahmed have been recalled to the squad. The Pakistan team management will finalize the playing XI before the start of the upcoming Test in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan’s XII: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood(c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Agha Salman, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mir Hamza, Abrar Ahmed.