The former South Australia and Adelaide Strikers coach will oversee two four-day matches in Darwin next month.
By ESPNcricinfo Staff
Jason Gillespie is back in Australia on his first tour since being appointed Pakistan Test coach, when he will oversee the Shaheens (Pakistan A) in two four-day matches in Darwin next month.
Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh A under coach Gillespie from 19-22 and 26-29 July before returning to Pakistan to prepare for the two-Test series against Bangladesh.
The Shaheens will remain in Darwin throughout August, playing 50-over matches against the Northern Territory and Bangladesh A before taking part in the expanded nine-team top-end T20 series for the second year in a row.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to be the head coach of the Pakistan Test team,” Gillespie, who previously coached South Australia and the Adelaide Strikers, told the PCB Podcast shortly after taking up the role. “It’s an honour. I’ve coached in a variety of roles around the world but I’ve never managed an international Test team. When this opportunity came up I jumped at it.”
The top-end series, which runs from August 9 to August 18, will also feature a Bangladesh high-performance team. Perth Scotchers and Adelaide Strikers will send teams, as will Tasmania. Melbourne Renegades and Stars academy teams will take part again, as they did last season, while defending champions NT Strikes and ACT Comets will join the tournament.
The PCB has announced Shaheens’ squad but one more player and the captain are expected to be confirmed ahead of the tour. The tour will include fast bowler Khurram Shazad, who made his Test match debut against Australia in Perth last year but his tour ended early due to injury.
“We’d like to thank the Northern Territory for inviting the Pakistan Shaheens to play for the second year in a row,” PCB Director of International Cricket Usman Wala said. “Last year the players had a memorable experience, playing and performing in great playing conditions in front of passionate cricket fans.”
“This year we have added red-ball cricket matches to give our cricketers more exposure and we are confident that our players will benefit from this tour and come back as better cricketers.”
Though Pakistan lost 3-0 to Australia in Melbourne and Sydney in the Test series, then team director Mohammed Hafeez said discussions were underway between the PCB and CA about future tour opportunities for the development squad.
For the Australian domestic cricketers taking part, the top-end T20 series will provide a pre-season opportunity for players not active overseas.
“This tournament adds an extra element to our normal pre-season by exposing our players to tournament conditions ahead of the Australian domestic season,” Perth Scotchers general manager Cade Harvey said, “It’s also a fantastic opportunity for Western Australia’s most promising players to test themselves against quality Australian and Asian opposition.”
Last year’s tournament featured Jake Fraser-McGurk and Will Sutherland, who have since represented Australia, with Fraser-McGurk taking the T20 world by storm in the IPL.
“The participation of two of the region’s cricket powerhouses, Pakistan and Bangladesh, along with half of the Big Bash League franchises, is testament to the potential of winter cricket in the region,” NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dobey said.
Further teams for the top-end T20 series are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Pakistan Shaheens expedition to Darwin Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammed Hurairah, Mubashir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omar Yusuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir and Umar Amin.
