'Former players are paid ... ': Pakistan coach hits back at external critics

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's red-ball format head coach Jason Gillespie has asked former cricketers to refrain from undue criticism of the national team. He believes such comments can significantly impact the players.


Gillespie mentioned that remarks from former players on TV shows and YouTube channels have hurt the cricketers. “I'm very protective of players and very protective of staff I work with and just want to make sure that the environment that we're trying to create is a safe space for everyone and if that gets eroded then that can lead to a bit of frustration,” he told Sky Sports.

He requested former players to be careful when sharing their opinions, especially on social media.

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“A lot of former players have their own space on social media – YouTube, whatever, and they're paid to have an opinion. One thing that I have noticed here is that the players notice everything and if they get some positive feedback from former players they idolised as kids, that goes a long way when they get some positive reinforcement. But it can have the opposite effect too if there's a lot of criticism by those former players,” he added.

Gillespie also expressed frustration over his reduced role. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) removed him and Test captain Shan Masood from the selection committee and took away their input on pitch preparation.

“I think there's always frustration from time to time. For me, when I came on board with Pakistan cricket, I was told there was a long-term plan, and we need to make sure our communication's spot on. I made that a real focus and so you can get frustrated if those things aren't done how you would like,” Gillespie said.



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