Table of Contents
Former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie has questioned Umar Gul’s explanation for Pakistan’s bowling struggles in the first Test against England. Gul, who was serving as Pakistan’s bowling coach, had blamed the cold weather in England for his pacers failing to execute their skills after arriving from the West Indies.
Umar Gul was subsequently among the two coaches and seven players sent home by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following Pakistan’s defeats in the opening two Tests. Gillespie, who previously served as Pakistan’s Test coach, has also criticised the PCB’s decision to make wholesale changes, but he had little sympathy for Umar Gul’s weather explanation after the heavy Headingley defeat.
Pakistan suffered crushing loss in Headingley Test vs England
Pakistan endured a difficult start to their Test series against England at Headingley, suffering an innings and 103-run defeat. Their bowling attack struggled to make the most of conditions that appeared favourable to fast bowlers, while England dominated the contest.
The defeat in first Test followed by second Test loss, put Pakistan under immediate pressure and was followed by major changes within the team setup. The PCB eventually removed seven players from the squad, while bowling coach Umar Gul and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed were sacked.
Umar Gul blamed weather for Pakistan's Headingley Test defeat
Following Pakistan's defeat in Headingley, Umar Gul pointed to the change in weather as one of the reasons behind his bowlers' inability to perform as expected.
Pakistan had travelled to England from the West Indies, where conditions were considerably warmer. Gul explained that the team did not get sufficient time to adjust to the much colder conditions before the Test at Headingley.
“When we came here from WI, the weather was hot. It was a hot summer. We weren't expecting it to be this cold. Even the practice match at Croydon, the weather there was hot. When we reached Headingley, it was totally different,” Gul had told reporters ahead of the second Test.
“It rained, and the weather was cold. Obviously, you need to spend some time in that cold weather. That's why we couldn't bowl that well, and we couldn't execute due to the weather,” he added.
“Give me a spell, Umar”: Jason Gillespie reacts to Gul’s England excuse
Jason Gillespie did not agree with Gul's reasoning and responded sharply when discussing the former Pakistan pacer's comments. Speaking on the Fast Bowling Cartel podcast, which also features Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming, Jason Gillespie questioned the suggestion that the weather was responsible for Pakistan's bowling problems.
“Give me a spell, Umar. Not surprised you’re not bowling coach anymore, champ. How ridiculous is that?” Jason Gillespie said on the ‘Fast Bowling Cartel’ podcast, which also features Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming.
However, Jason Gillespie also criticised the PCB's approach to dealing with the team's poor results. He believes the mass changes have created further uncertainty and could negatively affect the players' morale.
“It's just chaos. The players are used to this stuff, and it's par for the course. To sack seven players and then request that they stay to meet the King, because it would be embarrassing for the PCB to have only some players. How can you treat people this way? It makes zero sense,” said Gillespie.
Also Read: Cricket Australia begins BBL privatisation process with Melbourne Renegades license sale
