PAK vs BAN: Jason Gillespie explains reason behind dropping Shaheen Afridi

In the first Test against Bangladesh, Pakistan failed to capitalize on the advantage of playing on home soil. They struggled with pitch conditions, and their plan to play with four fast bowlers did not work out, leading to much criticism. However, for the second Test tomorrow, Pakistan intends to adjust their playing XI based on the conditions.

Pakistan’s red-ball coach, Jason Gillespie, addressed the media before the match and stated that the team would wait until morning to assess the conditions before finalizing their XI.

"We will definitely consider the conditions. We couldn’t play according to the conditions in the first Test. That’s not acceptable. We need to perform better. We know our opponents well; we play against them regularly. How they will play is beyond our control. What is within our control is our performance. Due to the weather, we haven’t been able to see the pitch over the past few days. Therefore, we have named a 12-man squad instead of the usual XI. We want to wait until the morning to make the best decision to dismiss Bangladesh’s 20 wickets."

In the first Test, Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood declared the innings after losing six wickets, which was clearly a poor decision. Shan Masood faced criticism from fans and former cricketers for this decision. However, coach Gillespie defended the captain:

"Shan is a positive captain. We want to win the match. Our plan in the first Test did not work out. We have to give full credit to Bangladesh for that. We will assess what we need to do to win the match. We couldn’t implement our plan, while Bangladesh played well. However, throughout the match, we aimed to seize victory. We know we have the potential to play better."

Regarding Pakistan’s preparation, Gillespie mentioned, "Our preparation has been good. Although we haven’t been able to practice much due to the weather, we are disappointed with the loss in the first Test. We have reviewed and learned from it and are moving past it. The match is now in the past. We need to focus on the match starting tomorrow. We hope to use the lessons learned from our mistakes in this match. The team is eager and prepared. We know it will be a significant challenge, but the players are ready, and we welcome their efforts."

Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was part of the XI in the first Test against Bangladesh, will be missing from the second Test. Coach Gillespie conveyed his best wishes for Shaheen’s future, saying:

"Shaheen is not playing in this match. I have spoken with him, and he understands the situation. Shaheen supports the decision to leave him out, and we want to find the best combination. Shaheen has had an exciting week, as he has just become a father. By giving someone else the chance to play, Shaheen gets the opportunity to be with his family. He is working on his bowling to become more effective. There are many games in all three formats ahead. He will need to play a significant role in the coming six months. We wish Shaheen all the best."