Islamabad, Nov 12: Pakistan cricket team’s interim white-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie, voiced disappointment over the lack of attention surrounding his team’s recent ODI series win against Australia.
Pakistan celebrated a significant 2-1 series victory on Australian soil, marking their first in 22 years, but many former players and cricket analysts expressed discontent at the absence of celebration for this milestone.
Criticism was also directed at Cricket Australia’s decision to rest several top players for the decisive ODI match, a move that didn’t sit well with former captain Michael Clarke. Lacking their more experienced players, Australia struggled in the final match, suffering an eight-wicket defeat and their first home series loss since 2019. Gillespie pointed to Cricket Australia’s focus on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series with India as a reason for the low-key atmosphere, stating:
“Frankly, I saw virtually no promotion for our one-day series by Cricket Australia, which surprised me. It’s clear they’re putting priority on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India since there was no promotion for this series.”
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is crucial, as its outcome could influence which team secures a spot in the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s.
Both India and Australia are facing unpredictable form, so the series could go either way. Australia will take on India just three days after wrapping up their T20 series with Pakistan, and due to the scheduling, their T20 squad includes several new players.
Despite limited publicity, Pakistani fans have kept the atmosphere lively and are expected to continue doing so in the upcoming three-game T20 series, where Pakistan, set to play the first match on November 14, is seen as the favorite to claim another historic victory.
