MULTAN: Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie has highlighted player fitness as a key area to focus on ahead of the upcoming Test series against England. The three-match series will begin in Multan on Monday. The former Australian legend was appointed as the red-ball coach in April and is determined to bring Pakistan back to winning form after a disappointing 2-0 series defeat to Bangladesh. “We cannot afford to have players in international cricket who are not fit or strong enough to negotiate the rigors of the game,” Gillespie said in a recent interview. Reflecting on the Bangladesh series, the 49-year-old acknowledged the need for more consistency and fine-tuning of skills. “What I learned from the Bangladesh series is that we have some great players but we need to be more consistent. We have the ability but we need to keep tweaking it,” he said. “There’s also been a lot of talk about fitness and we’re making sure that’s a key component for us going forward,” he added. Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has faced criticism after a string of poor performances. However, the head coach of the red-ball team offered support to the underpressure captain. “Shan has a very clear plan for how the Test side should play and we are totally aligned with that,” he said. “There are things that people don’t see and I was very impressed with his communication with the players and the way he does his job,” he added. Pakistan will face a formidable England side led by Brendon McCullum. Despite the challenges, Gillespie remains optimistic about Pakistan’s chances. “I think we played well against England. It’s going to be a tough series. We know we’re probably the underdogs, but we’re excited to show what we can do,” he concluded.
