Veteran cricketer and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has praised Jason Gillespie’s coaching abilities, noting that Gillespie has consistently delivered impressive results with every team he has been part of. Ponting compared Gillespie to Gautam Gambhir, highlighting his strong coaching record across different teams.
Ponting remarked, “[Jason] Gillespie is similar to Gautam Gambhir. His coaching record has been excellent wherever he has gone. While he will face some challenges, he’s a deep thinker and approaches his work in a quiet, effective manner.”
Gillespie, who was appointed as Pakistan’s Test coach before the T20 World Cup 2024, will begin his tenure with the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh.
Ponting mentioned that he and other former teammates have congratulated Gillespie via WhatsApp groups, wishing him success in his new role. He also drew a comparison between Gillespie and India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, acknowledging that Gillespie will encounter challenges with the Pakistan team.
Ricky Ponting expressed that the recent changes in Pakistan’s coaching setup were expected, following the team’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, where they exited the group stage for the first time in the tournament’s history. He noted, “Given their poor T20 World Cup performance, I’m not surprised by the changes in the coaching staff. If you don’t make changes, you can’t expect different results.”
Squads:
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumar Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi
