Pakistan cricket identity will sort itself out - Gillespie

As Pakistan prepare to embark on a demanding season under a new red-ball coach, with nine Tests over the next five months, the team seems to be grappling with an identity crisis. Oppositions are aware they will encounter spin challenges in India, seam threats in New Zealand, and aggressive play when facing England. What, then, defines Pakistan's style of play? They were blanked 0-3 by England at home on flat and unresponsive pitches last year and there have been obvious posers about their approach.

Creating a blueprint for home Tests and resolving the identity crisis is a significant challenge for Jason Gillespie, the new red-ball coach of the Shan Masood-captained team. While the Australian is committed to helping the team define its identity, he believes that it will take some time to establish and adopt a clear and effective blueprint.

"The identity will sort itself out," he says. "I don't think that will be resolved right now. It will be a process to figure out exactly what surfaces we want to play on going forward.

"I firmly believe we've got all bases covered, whether it's fast bowling, slower bowling, or playing on faster, bouncier tracks that offer more assistance to seamers, or surfaces that are lower and slower. We need to be flexible and adaptable, but we'll certainly have a basic blueprint on how we want to play our games," the former Australia pacer, whose first assignment as Pakistan coach begins with a two-Test home series against Bangladesh starting August 21, said in a PCB podcast.

Identity is just one of the challenges facing Pakistan cricket; a more pressing issue is the widening gap between the top teams and the rest in Test cricket. India, England, and Australia seem to have distanced themselves from the peloton. Masood addresses this issue head-on, saying there is a need for more Test cricket.

"There was a time when we dominated teams in the UAE, and we did decently abroad as well. We always performed well in England, and we even held the number-one position in Test cricket for a while. The gap then was huge. After that, we had a change of captains, but Test cricket wasn't as frequent for us. If you look at the big nations like Australia, India, and England, they play about 10 to 15 Test matches a year," the Test skipper said in the same podcast.

"In Test cricket, which is the ultimate challenge in the game, you have to be familiar with certain conditions. Yes, we've been playing at home since 2019, but other teams have been playing on their home soils for much longer. We still have to decide what our best approach at home is.

"If I'm being brutally honest, in home Test matches, because they've been played at different times of the year and against different nations, we still haven't found our ideal way of playing at home that suits our batting, bowling, and overall style. That's something we need to figure out quickly. We need to determine what helps us win as a team. How can we create conditions that suit us more and put us in the driving seat, rather than just thinking about how we can cope with the opposition?

"It's about familiarity, figuring things out, and consistency, which matters a lot in Test cricket. We're playing nine Test matches in four months, but we've also had to deal with an unfortunate calendar where we played in Australia, and then we're playing our next Test after ten months. These are challenges that Pakistan cricket needs to address going forward.

"We need more Test cricket. We play a lot of domestic cricket, so I don't think we can blame that. We do play 10 first-class matches minimum, and with the introduction of departmental cricket, some players ended up playing 16-17 first-class matches in a year."

Pakistan is also navigating uncharted territory by appointing two national coaches - Gary Kirsten as the head coach for white-ball formats and Jason Gillespie for red-ball cricket. This dual coaching structure may lead to overlaps, especially with multi-format players. Gillespie says he will not hesitate to make unpopular decisions.

"Sometimes decisions will be made that may not be overly popular, but that's why we're in these positions-to make those calls. But please understand that they're always in the best interests of Pakistan cricket and the individual players.

"We've got multi-format players, and we've got to look after them as best we can. The priority is representing Pakistan, but if there are opportunities-on a case-by-case basis-where a player can learn about their game and play better cricket, which in turn will help them be a better cricketer for Pakistan, then we'll certainly consider those opportunities. But we won't be in a position where we compromise the team, whichever format.

"And yes, I'm aligned with the Test side, Gary's with the white-ball formats, but this is where real communication-clear, consistent communication-between all the stakeholders comes in to get the best out of every individual player and do what's best for Pakistan cricket."

The Pakistan dressing room is known to be notorious for leaking inside information and it was a question at the discussion. What can be done? Masood says he will address the issue. "The dressing room culture is crucial, and everything starts from there," says the captain insisting on the need to maintain the dressing room sanctity.

"How you play on the field begins with the environment and conversations within the dressing room. When you're assigned captaincy, maintaining or creating a positive dressing room culture is a primary responsibility. Great sporting teams have strong dressing room cultures that contribute to their success. This includes everything from disciplines and routines to agreeing on how to play.

"Addressing leaks and maintaining confidentiality in the dressing room are vital. It's important to convince players of the significance of keeping the dressing room a sacred space. The betterment of everyone-whether coaches or players-starts with a strong, respectful dressing room culture."

The extensive discussion also touched upon the crucial issue of fear of failure and the coach says the players will have the backing of the management as long as they are committed. "I'm a realist. There has been a lot of instability and turnover recently, both on and off the field. From a Test perspective, the selectors and I want to address this and ensure consistency and stability. If we can create an environment where everything off the field is stable, it gives players the best chance to know they are supported and trusted to perform.

"As a coach, as long as players are committed, putting in the time and effort to improve, and are ready to perform for the team, they will have our full support. Yes, results matter, and I understand that as a coach, I am judged on them. However, I will support our players and our coaching staff to help the players be their best and create an environment where they can play with a clear mind."